Pub's embassy filter hope
A Southampton licensee is hoping to get round the smoking ban by declaring his pub is 'foreign soil'.
Bob Beech wants to turn his bar into an embassy for the remote Caribbean island of Redonda.
He claims a senior "attache" to its ruler named the Wellington Arms as the UK consulate for the island, which is 35 miles off Antigua, earlier this month.
The smoke-free law will not be enforceable against premises that have diplomatic status A Department of Health spokesman.
Now he wants to go one step further.
As an embassy, his pub would be classed as "foreign soil", allowing smokers a haven.
The attache who granted consulate status is Redonda's official cardinal Edward Elder — a regular at the pub.
Cardinal Elder, 72, told the Sun: "We'll be declaring our credentials to the Queen and will see what happens."
Redonda's ruler is King Robert the Bald, 60, who lives on Antigua and whose real name is Bob Williamson.
The Canadian-born novelist, who recently granted a knighthood to landlord Bob, regularly sails his yacht to survey his one-mile square kingdom.
"Sir" Bob — in his 60s — said of beating the fags ban: "I have a legal team looking into the legalities at the moment but I am confident."
The Department of Health admitted: "The smoke-free law will not be enforceable against premises that have diplomatic status."
