Almost 30 people have been fined for smoking in public in Wolverhampton – with taxi drivers emerging as among the worst offenders.

Several cabbies have been caught lighting up in their cars by enforcement officers since the blanket ban was introduced.

Another offender was a coach driver who was spotted having a cigarette while parked, and a paving company employee was fined for smoking in his work van. Anyone caught flouting the ban, introduced in July, faces a £60 fine.

Spokesman Tim Clark could not give exact figures but said the enforcement team had given most fines to unruly taxi drivers.

“A fixed penalty notice was also handed out to a taxi driver who failed to display the correct signs in his vehicle,” he added.

Enforcement officers have been infiltrating all public places since the ban was implemented in July. But despite the issuing of fines, council officials have reported that the ban has been successful.

While initial warnings were given to some establishments, landlords and venue managers have been seen to comply.

Meanwhile, more than 600 smokers in Wolverhampton have stumped out their cigarettes for good since the ban on lighting up in public places came into force.

And in a bid to get more smokers to kick the habit in 2008 health bosses in Wolverhampton are to launch a quitathon which gets started next week.

In total almost 7,000 people have quit smoking through the Wolverhampton Stop Smoking Service since 2003, 600 of which have been since the July ban.

Officials at the Primary Care Trust, which pays for and provides health care services in Wolverhampton, say they are expecting scores of residents to pledge to give up cigarettes in the new year and want to help them make sure it’s for good.

The quitathon is being held at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from 10am-2pm on Saturday December 29, January 5, 12, 19, 26 and February 2.

Sue McKie, stop smoking service co-ordinator said: “Each year hundreds of people make kicking the habit their new year’s resolution but give up giving up in the first few days.”

Appointments are not necessary and would-be quitters will be given advice, support and two weeks worth of nicotine replacement therapy patches or gum.

Stop smoking sessions are also held each week on Mondays at Bilston Health Centre, Prouds Lane, 1-4pm and St Thomas’s Church, Wednesfield, 5-7pm; Tuesdays at Boots The Chemist, Mander Centre, 11am-2pm and West Park Hospital Outpatients DeptH, 5-7pm; Wednesdays at the Phoenix Health Centre, Parkfields Road, 5-8pm and Whitmore Reans Health Centre, Lowe Street, 10am-12pm.

Also, Thursdays at Asda, Waterloo Road, 1-3pm; Fridays at Alfred Squire Health Centre, Wednesfield, 10am- 12pm and Lloyds Pharmacy, 18 Broadway, Bushbury, 2-4pm; Saturdays at Boots The Chemist, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton, 10am-12pm.