A COUPLE who run a pub are planning to cut out cigarettes for charity when the smoking ban comes into force next month.

Nathan Barnes, of the Goldfinger, in Highworth, and his fiancée Anne Roberts are hoping to raise money for Brimble Hill Primary School and the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Movement.

They will stub out cigarettes for a month in a bid to raise as much sponsorship money as possible.

Barmaid Donna Griffiths is also joining the pair.

Nathan, 32, whose five-year-old son Brandon might go to Brimble Hill School, said: "I think I will get quite a bit more work done without the fag breaks.

"We chose Calm because one of our punters is involved with it because he suffered cancer as a child.

"And we chose Brimble Hill because my son has special needs and he might go there soon and I know they do a lot of good work in the area."

Nathan has been a smoker for 15 years and this is not the first time he has tried to give up.

"I've always gone back to smoking," he said.

"But hopefully I won't this time. I will definitely try to carry on not smoking after the first month."

If the smokers do not last the month then they will put up the sponsor ship money themselves. And they are also going to donate the money they save from not buying cigarettes.

Landlady Anne, 23, said: "There's quite a lot of support from everybody already because they realise how hard it is. It's going to be a big challenge."

Unlike some landlords, who fear the smoking ban will lead to a drop in trade, Nathan welcomes the new law.

"I hope that it will make it better and more people will come out," he said.

"It's a benefit for everybody, you won't stink of smoke in the morning so it should make trade better not worse."

Brimble Hill School headteacher Bob Walker has thanked the pub staff for their support.

"It's a lovely idea," he said. "We have got children from Highworth here and it's nice for them to think of us.

"All I can say is it's a delight to hear the news and to be thought of in such a positive way.

"The great thing about people fundraising for us is that we can fund additional activities and staff can come up with extra activities and projects."