Council leaders in Liverpool last night voted to ban smoking in public places.

The city council became the first in Britain to ask for legislation to outlaw smoking in bars, offices, restaurants and shops.

The decision is seen as the first step towards a national smoking ban, similar to those that already exist in Ireland and New York.

The council will petition Parliament to enact its Prohibition of Smoking in Places of Work Bill, into law.

The Bill must be passed by the House of Commons and House of Lords before any ban takes effect.

Councillors are keen for the Bill to be passed within a year and must petition Parliament by November 27 if it is to be introduced in time for the next legislative session.

Liverpool has one of the worst cancer-related death rates in the country, with more than 1,000 dying in the city each year from smoking- related diseases.

If the Bill become law, offenders would be prosecuted by the city council and could expect to face fines of up to £1,000.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "I believe the best route to giving people a smoke-free environment is through a self-regulatory solution agreed with the industry.

"If that cannot be delivered, then targeted legislation may be necessary, but ad hoc initiatives by local authorities is, in my view, the least helpful way of seeking to tackle this issue."

Mike Storey, leader of the Liberal Democrat-run council, said he was delighted at the result.

He said: "It's an historic moment not just for Liverpool but also for the rest of the country. We have said we want to be smoke free and we have taken the first step to make sure that becomes a reality.

"I think this will make the Government sit up and think about their anti-smoking legislation nationally."

Mr Storey criticised Health Secretary Dr John Reid for comments made earlier this year in support of smoking. Dr Reid said at the time that such bans were "totally inappropriate".

Mr Storey said: "There are dozens of other cities throughout the country that will follow suit and join Liverpool in this ban."

Councillors voted 57 to seven in favour of the Bill and the result was received with applause and cheers from the public gallery.

And it seems there is support for the Liverpool stance after MPs and peers yesterday called on Dr Reid to outlaw smoking in public places after a fact-finding mission to Dublin. Dr Reid has already said the Government would not follow Ireland in banning smoking in all workplaces, but would find its own answers to the problem.

But the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health said that half-way measures, including partial smoking restrictions, were not good enough.

Dr Reid has indicated that he will take some action to tackle passive smoking in the long-awaited Public Health White Paper, but is expected to stop short of a total ban.

The All-Party Group is sending a report on the findings from their visit to Dr Reid and want to meet with him to discuss what they discovered.

The group met Irish politicians, trade unions, health groups and the hospitality industry during their trip.

They said they had found that the smoke-free legislation was popular and enforceable.