An Oxford shopping centre has become a no-smoking zone - but people can still light up right in the middle of it.

Templars Square manager Wendy White makes sure customer service manager Dave Whitlam doesn't light up

Templars Square shopping centre in Cowley declared itself a no-smoking area on National No Smoking Day on Wednesday.

But the privately-owned cafe in the centre of the shopping mall has kept its section for smokers.

And the shopping centre says it is powerless to make the cafe join the ban that exists throughout the rest of the complex.

The issue has already prompted complaints from shoppers after the rest of the centre went no-smoking.

Justin Walden, 30, of Hurst street, east Oxford, said signs that had been put up in the centre said it was totally non-smoking.

He added: "So why is there a smoking section in the open air cafe, with a haze forming in the centre?

"If they want to have a smoking area they should enclose it so they can choke on their own smoke.

"It annoys me when smokers say they have the right to smoke. What about the right to breathe in fresh air?"

Centre manager Wendy White said the cafe was privately owned so the centre was not able to enforce the ban within it.

Paul Cooper, group manager of Boswells Coffee Company, said: "We have reduced our smoking capacity by 50 per cent and are fully supportive of the centre becoming a no-smoking area.

"But we are trying to please everybody, both our smoking and non-smoking customers."

Mrs White said:"We had a succession of people coming to us to tell us they wanted us to become non-smoking and we wanted to respond.

"With the rise in asthma, we were getting reports from people who couldn't come and shop in the centre because of the smoke.

"The feedback we have had has been very positive."