A woman who says she can get smokers to kick their habit in just 45 minutes is offering to help pub landlords who fear the proposed smoking ban will hit their profits.

Sarah Le-Fevre, of Catspaw Consultancy, Abingdon, is offering a total of six quit smoking sessions free of charge to landlords in the Oxford and Abingdon area to either take up themselves or raffle off to customers.

Many landlords are concerned that the Government's proposed 2008 ban on smoking in licensed premises serving food will lead to a drop in takings and even put them out of business.

Ms Le-Fevre, a former smoker, said: "I know quite a few landlords who are worried they will lose a lot of punters when this ban comes in and I want to give them the opportunity to keep them.

"Landlords do not want to lose customers simply because they can no longer smoke while they have a pint.

"Coaching provides methods which work and leave the ex-smoker happy and confident without cigarettes."

She said the sessions do not involve hypnosis, but work by identifying when a person smokes and what makes them want to do it.

She added: "I recognise the trigger and replace it with something else."

Kerry and Alli Burton, landlords at the Duke of York, in Norfolk Street, Oxford, both smoke. Mr Burton said he was worried about the effect a proposed smoking ban would have. "It's going to be a big problem because to be honest there are more smokers than non-smokers," he said. "If you walk into any pub, the number of smokers outweigh the non-smokers by at least half. In Ireland, where a ban on smoking was introduced in all licensed premises last year, landlords are overcoming the ban by letting people smoke and paying the fines.

"I would like to give up myself, but it is a very stressful job, and you are around smokers all the time."

Landlords interested can call Ms Le-Fevre on 07770 752593.