Think of bookmakers and a dingy world of smoke, flat caps and plastic counters comes to mind.

For years, betting shops have remained stuck in a time warp, unchanging in the face of changes to our leisure habits. But yesterday all that changed. Britain's first non-smoking bookies opened at Brighton Marina.

Brian Prescott, the joint owner of Hyperion Racing, said: "It's all about changing the way we find bookmakers. We have to bring in new customers. They want airy surroundings and definitely not a smoky atmosphere."

Brian and business partner Diane Arnold have spent £100,000 renovating the premises, once a fashion boutique. They have installed polished maple panelling and work surfaces throughout and put up historical racing pictures in the window.

Negotiations with Brighton Marina took a year before it decided the plans were in keeping. A spokesman said: "The whole area is improving all the time. We will soon have a hotel and a casino on the site, which will make it a wonderful leisure area for everyone to visit."

The first customer after Hyperion's opening was property developer Alan Stainforth, who put £10 on Kendal Cavalier to win tomorrow's Grand National.

He said: "I've never actually been in a bookmakers before, so it was quite a nice

surprise. I can't stand breathing in smoke."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.