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Date: 5 May 2026
Owners of Lova Coffee, a café on the Lisburn Road in Belfast, were fined a total of £1100 plus costs of £128 at Belfast Magistrates Court today for breaching smoke-free legislation under The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
Mayar Coffee Limited, registered at 133 Lisburn Road, pleaded guilty of failure to prevent people smoking shisha within their premises. Shisha is a form of flavoured tobacco heated by charcoal and smoked through a water pipe. It is covered by smoking legislation and is allowed in areas which are open air, or in which at least 50% of the building or structure is permanently open.
Belfast City Council brought the prosecution following visits to the cafe by Tobacco Control Officers. On four occasions officers witnessed people smoking shisha within the enclosed premises.
A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said, “Under The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, it is against the law to smoke in enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and in public places such as bars and offices, as well as work vehicles and public transport.”
“This legislation was introduced to protect workers and the public from exposure to second-hand smoke. It is enforced across the city by our Tobacco Control Officers, who seek to support businesses to operate good practice and to comply with the law. However, we will take action against illegal practice which puts people at risk.”
The Belfast Agenda lays out Belfast City Council’s vision for all residents to experience improved health and wellbeing by 2035. Affirmative action to reduce smoking, and the danger of second-hand smoke inhalation, feeds into this strategy, and helps to create a healthier Belfast for everyone. Our Tobacco Control work is supported by the Public Health Agency and the Department of Health.