MOST of us regard the ban on smoking in public places as a fairly recent innovation.

But even 60 years ago, there were restrictions on when and where some people could smoke.

Publicans in Oxford received a warning as far back as 1956 that smoking behind the bar of any public house was forbidden.

The ban had been imposed by new food hygiene regulations that came into force on January 1, that year.

But it appears some licensees had not understood the new rules or that they had decided to ignore them.

A warning of the possible consequences was given by Mr A B Salvetti, secretary of the Oxford and District Licensed Victuallers Central Protection Society.

He told members at a meeting in April 1956 that sanitary inspectors employed by local councils “might turn their attentions to licensed premises at any time”.

He said: “In some places, they are going around the shops to see if the new regulations are being observed and you can be sure that we shall be the next target.”

A proposal that all breweries should be asked to follow the example of one unnamed Oxford brewery and give licensees a summary of the regulations was defeated.

Instead, the society decided to buy copies and circulate them to all members. It was an important organisation in the Oxford area, representing the interests of almost all licensees in the city.

In 1956, there was a familiar cry from publicans that breweries were unfairly squeezing their incomes.

Mr Salvetti said a good trading period in summer had been offset by lean weeks in winter, and expenses were mounting.

He said: “There can be little doubt that we must soon again knock on the door of our brewers with a request for an additional margin of profit. The remuneration of the licensee today bears no resemblance to the hours of work that both he and his wife must put in to run a properly conducted licensed house.”

Another criticism was that pubs were often blamed unfairly for an increase in drunkenness.

Mr Salvetti said: “I wonder why it is invariably inferred that these people consume their liquor in public licensed premises.

“Is the fact overlooked that consumption has quite possibly taken place at some other drinking establishment? With the continual increase in the number of clubs around us, perhaps those remarks could also be directed to their officers.”