BARS across Suffolk are today set to celebrate the end of an era as British pubs say goodbye to smoking.

BARS across Suffolk are today set to celebrate the end of an era as British pubs say goodbye to smoking.

While some plan to dress in smart attire to give the habit a fond farewell, others will see the new era in with a New Year-style countdown.

The government's smoking ban for enclosed public places comes into force tomorrow .

Peter Greenland, manager of Bar IV, in St Peter's Street, Ipswich, said: “All of the staff are coming in black tie dress tonight and at least 40 of our customers have agreed to dress up too.

“It falls on a Saturday night which is a busy night anyway but lots of people said they are going to make the effort to come out to have their last cigarette in the bar.

“It is the end of an era and things are going to change but I think it will take three or four months to realise how much.

“People will get used to it and we are all prepared for that change to happen.”

Across town, at The Rep, in Tower Street, staff will hold a New Year's Eve Party with staff dressing up as famous smokers.

Ben Baker, deputy manager, said: “We have no outdoor space so people will have to stand in the street to smoke from now on.

“To see in this new era we thought we would have a party with games and competition, and of course, a big countdown to the ban coming into force.

“Staff will be dressed as Lily Allen, Kate Moss, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Winston Churchill - to name a few.”

Many bars in the county have bought marquees for those who will have to step outside to light up but it has sparked safety concerns that pubs may buy non-fireproof marquees as they are cheaper.

Yesterday, campaigners for the right to smoke launched a High Court challenge over the government's smoking ban.

The pressure group Freedom2Choose lodged papers at the Royal Courts of Justice in London as they began their campaign for a judicial review.

A judge will now decide whether there is an “arguable case” raising genuine issues of law that should go to a full hearing.

Bob Feal-Martinez, for Freedom2Choose, said the case raised “questions of personal liberty” and highlighted the dangers of “a democracy becoming a dictatorship”.

N Are you looking forward to the ban? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk