Most Britons may have just given up on their New Year's resolutions, but JD Wetherspoon, the pub chain, today unveiled plans to stop smoking in all of its premises by May 2006 - two years ahead of Government plans. The move, designed to attract health-conscious customers who are becoming increasingly averse to smoky bars, will begin with a ban on smoking in 60 of its 600 pubs by May this year. The proposals were not welomed by investors. Shares in Wetherspoon were down 5.5p at 254.5p in afternoon trade.“An increasing percentage of the population are giving up smoking and a significant number of people are staying away from pubs and restaurants because they are too smoky,” said the company’s chairman, Tim Martin. “JD Wetherspoon pioneered non-smoking areas but we now feel it is the right time to go one step further,” he addedMr Martin, a vocal critic of government policy in recent weeks, also attacked Westminster's approach to a smoking ban, which prohibits smoking only where food is being served

“The government’s approach to the issue of a smoking ban does not make sense, since pubs can get around it by giving up food sales. We believe our approach of a complete ban after a period of notice is the right one.”

Mr Martin last week entered the row over government proposals to make rowdy pubs pay towards the cost of policing under 24-hour licensing plans.

The chairman of the 600-pub chain called Home Office ministers “morons” and claimed the plans were “last minute chaos”.

Ministers stopped short of a compulsory up-front levy on pubs. They also ruled out banning “all you can drink” promotions and happy hours.

Instead, disorderly premises in new “Alcohol Disorder Zones” will be given a “yellow card” warning and allowed a minimum of eight weeks to pacify rowdy drinkers.

JD Wetherspoon said it would ban smoking from this May at its pubs in London, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham

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