THE owner of a high street business is pleading with members of the public not to smoke on a bench outside his shop. 

Angry Boba, a bubble tea shop on King Street in Whitehaven, is now displaying a sign asking people not to smoke on the bench outside because it is affecting trade. 

Balazs Csomor, the owner of Angry Boba, said: "We are a food business, lots of our customers are children and families. 

"The bench and bin beside it are within two metres of the shop entrance, so it is just too close if people are smoking on the bench. 

"Smoke is coming into the shop straight away so we can't leave the door open. 

"Many people are using the bench for nothing other than smoking; it is a rare occasion that elderly people use the bench because they're tired. It is mostly smokers as the bin is right next to it."

Whitehaven Town Council own the bench which is on Cumberland Council land. 

Last year, Mr Csomor was embroiled in a row with Whitehaven Town Council over the location of the bench, which he removed from upper King Street after he said the town council failed to respond to a complaint he made.

Chris Hayes, who at the time, was mayor of Whitehaven, was then seen confronting him over removing the bench in a video shared online, in which he told Mr Csomor his business would be ‘blacklisted’.

The bench was later returned after police became involved.

Whitehaven Town councillor Edwin Dinsdale said: "I've supported from the start that the bench should be moved a few metres away from the shop. 

"If a business says that something is affecting their trade, we should support them."

Town councillor Brian O' Kane added: "If they want people to stop smoking on the bench they should speak to Cumberland Council, as they control all street furniture in the town."

Cumberland Council declined to comment.