Smokers will have to watch where they light up while drinking in hundreds of Sussex pubs.

Five major pub chains are backing calls to voluntarily bring in no-smoking areas in their 252 outlets.

They hope the move will be enough to avoid an all-out Government ban like Ireland's.

Enterprise Inns, which owns 94 pubs in East and West Sussex, is one of the groups backing calls by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

They want smokers and non-smokers to live in harmony by designating large areas of floor space as cigarette-free zones.

The BBPA says only 24 per cent of pub-goers support a complete smoking ban but 83 per cent are in favour of no-smoking areas.

Enterprise Inns' pubs in Brighton include Dr Brighton's in King's Road, Grand Central in Surrey Street, the Heart and Hand in North Road and the Mash Tun in Church Street.

The Spirit Group, which owns 39 pubs in the Brighton area, including the Bath Arms in Meeting House Lane, the Druid's Head in Brighton Place and Old Orleans in Prince Albert Street, also wants no-smoking areas in all its bars.

They are joined by Punch Taverns, which operates 81 bars in the county.

The changes cannot be imposed on individual landlords but the pub groups say it is good business sense to please all customers.

Banning smoking at the bar is another option.

Regulars and staff at Punch Tavern pub the I Go Inn, in Rock Street, Brighton, said the proposals were a good compromise to a total ban on smoking in public places.

Landlady Liz Moffett said: "I don't think I've ever had a complaint about cigarette smoke. We did a survey and found 87 per cent of our customers did not mind it.

"I'd welcome a no smoking area but a total ban would be unnecessary."

Regular Steve Leggett, 42, who smokes 20 cigarettes a day, added: "Smoking and pubs go together. People go in pubs and expect cigarette smoke.

"Having said that, a no-smoking area would be a good idea.

"Even if smoking were banned I'd still come in here. I wouldn't like it but I'd have to go outside for a fag."

Non-smoking customer Beryl Morris said: "I don't see the problem.

"As long as pubs are well ventilated there's no need for a ban."

Mitchells and Butlers owns and manages 29 outlets in the area including the Harvester chain, O'Neill's and Brighton's Royal Pavilion Tavern.

A spokesman said the bars already operated designated smoking areas and did not allow lighting up at the bar.

The other major firm is Scottish and Newcastle, which owns nine pubs in the area.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Ken Bodfish said he would like to see all public places made smoke-free. However, he did not want to impose a ban and felt it was a matter of choice for landlords.

A survey funded by tobacco firms last month found a quarter of drinkers in Brighton and Hove favoured a total ban while 28 per cent wanted a ban at the bar.