Boat business takes a dive

Time could be called on a marine club in Wolverhampton, which bosses claim is being killed off by the smoking ban.

Oxley Marine Club in The Wharf, Oxley Moor Road, has been run for the past three-and-a-half years by Janet and Dennis Mable.

They hire out a boat for canal trips, birthday parties and Christmas parties. But the couple, both aged 55, told today how they are staring at financial ruin after just one booking was made for the boat in the last eight weeks, despite it normally attracting interest every weekend and on weekdays.

They say the smoking ban, which also applies to boats, has wrecked their business, which now faces a grim year ahead unless more people take advantage of it.

The narrowboat, which costs £160 for two hours, can be used for tours around the canal network or to host celebration-style events. It rests next to a small social club also run by the couple, which is also struggling.

They say drinkers don't want to go outside in "sub-zero temperatures" and are opting instead for bars with smoking shelters instead.

Mrs Mable said: "We haven't had a single Christmas party booking this year.

"Our next booking is on January 5 and it's a big problem for us. The business is absolutely terrible – normally at this time of year we would be booked up every weekend and on weekdays.

"We think the anti-smoking law is killing the livelihoods of many small businesses like our much quicker, and pollution free than the cigarettes themselves."

Mrs Mable said the couple did not know how they were going to survive. "We get phonecalls from people and as soon as we say it's non-smoking on board, they put the phone down and don't want to know.

"Even the social club we run by the boat is suffering. Last week I only washed up 11 glasses in an entire day. People are staying away from the club too because they can't smoke."

The smoking ban was introduced by the Government last summer, making lighting up illegal in virtually every enclosed public space, including offices, pubs and factories.