One in 10 hospitality workers has suffered violence from customers flouting the smoking ban, according to a poll by hospitality recruitment website Caterer.com.

It found that since the smoking ban came into force in June, more than 10% of hospitality workers have suffered threats or actual violence after asking customers to stop smoking.

The study found that more than 40% of respondents reported asking customers to stop smoking after the ban came into effect – and many have suffered abuse as a result.

Laurence Owen of Caterer.com says: “The introduction of the smoking ban has been particularly tough for hospitality workers. The level of violence experienced by some people when trying to enforce the ban with customers is shocking.”

The research found that nearly 80% of hospitality staff said they were happier at work now smoking had been banned and a similar amount said they felt healthier.

However, 32% of respondents said they felt their business was under threat because smokers had been driven away, while 16% reported an actual drop in revenue.