Now come on let's talk sense, just reading through this article with a little effort they could have found the truth:-

From what I understand the Cross Guns was closed because when the landlady handed her notice in the Brewery told her to leave within a few days instead of keeping the place open for the three months she had offered with her notice.

The Stag has been shut for about a year because there were marital problems, (which don't need to be discussed here). But someone is busy refurbishing the place ready to open later this year.

Thwaites Brewery will always try to make a profit, if they own a pub and it's not doing well they will be prepared to change a loss into a profit, isn't that normal business?

They have always done that from the year dot!

If pubs close during the day then they won't have any customers we can't break through that lump of wood called a door!

The high price of beer? the popular and successful pubs manage at some extraordinary prices perhaps they should be shown as a leading light for those not doing so well?

Drink Driving laws? they have been with us since the sixties and are proposed to get even tighter!

Well the two pubs above and others mentioned were nothing to do with the smoking ban because some of them closed almost two years ago!

To say that these pubs weren't closed by the smoking ban is quite correct, however the full version of this article suggests that the problem could be the Last Orders, in the main article they claim that the pub offers beer at £1.00 per pint this is incorrect, could the reporters please call in there and give them an apology? The pub is part of a large chain that buys it's beer in bulk hence they can pass the reduction on to their customers.
That is surely something to be praised rather than criticised?
Since the smoking ban if you would care to ask the Landlady of the Last Orders you would find that due to the smoking ban and the bad weather she has also noticed a reduction in customers.

To say that the pubs mentioned were not closed because of the smoking ban is correct, to blame the Last Orders Pub, (which seems to be the way it is put in the actual paper), is stupid, wait a few more months re-publish the article when the next lot of pubs are shut and then I dare you to say it's not because of a smoking ban!