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Shisha pipes 'constitute smoking'

21/11/2008

A restaurant has been fined more than £4,500 by Manchester city council for allowing customers to smoke Middle Eastern hookah pipes.

Director of Al Baghdady Cafe on Wilmslow Road Saad Kharufa pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to prevent smoking in a public place at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

He was charged £735 for each offence, £1,000 in costs and £15 victims surcharge, which amounted to £4,690.

Mr Kharufa told council officials the cafe was an Arabic cultural centre which should be exempt from the smoking ban.

Manchester city council said it had visited the premises several times to warn the cafe before the prohibition came into force in July last year.

However, Mr Kharufa still chose to operate serving the shisha pipes, through which people smoke flavoured tobacco and aromatic herbs.

The court ordered Mr Kharufa to pay £100 per month or be visited by bailiffs.