The Ramblers, a team of non-smoking skittlers from the Church House Inn, at Linkinhorne, have taken their battle into one of tobacco's last bastions – the local pub. The Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Health Promotion Stop Smoking Service is sponsoring them in the Liskeard and District Skittles League where they will play in more than 50 league, cup, and friendly matches. They will wear sporting polo shirts bearing the logo of the family run pub and restaurant near Callington, and the helpline number of the Stop Smoking Service.

Help Team member Russ Hanson, one of 120 specially trained counsellors across Cornwall who offer one-to-one help to smokers wanting to give up, explained: ' It could be said that the pub is one of the last bastions of the smoker, so this is a very useful way to show people who want to give up that there is help and advice at the end of the phone. 'We certainly don't push an anti-smoking message down people's throats, our aim is simply to let people know that they can get help if they want to give up. 'So far we have had a very positive reaction from other teams and no, there are no smokers in the Church House team!' Lynda Quee, co-ordinator of the Stop Smoking Service, said: 'The service is here to help people who want to stop smoking, but in a rural community it can be difficult to tell people where they can get the support they need. 'We are hoping this will provide an effective way of getting the message across.' Kirsty Doney, who runs the Church House with her mother Jackie, said the restaurant had been completely non-smoking for several years, and this had proved popular with customers. She went on: 'After all, it seems a great shame to go to all the effort of sourcing quality local products and offering a top quality menu, only to spoil the atmosphere with smoke. 'We do allow smoking in our bar, but we are finding less and less of our customers smoke.' The NHS backed Stop Smoking Service has helped more than 9,000 smokers in Cornwall and the Scillies to give up the habit over the past five years. Their counsellors offer personal advice on ways of giving up, its benefits and motivation. The nearest advisor can be found by calling 01209 215666.