SMOKERS who light up outside Yorkhill Hospital For Sick Children are in the firing line.

NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde's new 'zero tolerance' policy on smoking in hospital grounds has been extended to the city site.

The health board has rebranded entrances outside the city's hospitals with bold no smoking signs.

This time, artwork has been designed by young patients to get the message across at Yorkhill.

Wardens are now patrolling the grounds to ensure the ban is enforced.

The board said smoking outside Yorkhill Hospital continued to be the issue it received most complaints about from visitors, staff and young patients.

The Evening Times has highlighted the problem on several occasions as part of our Clear The Air anti-smoking campaign.

We revealed how the smoke from people standing smoking around the main entrance was travelling through air vents and could be smelled in the Schiehallion ward, which treats children with cancer.

The children's play area at the hospital was also often littered with cigarette butts.

Earlier this week, the board revealed wardens employed at other hospitals had been forced to quit, because of abuse from smokers, just weeks into the job.

A board spokeswoman said: "The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is the latest hospital to have its entrance rebranded.

"Smoking outside the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill in Glasgow remains a stubborn problem."

Smoking in hospital grounds across the NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde area – including car parks, at entrances to buildings, and in green spaces – was banned on March 26, 2007, a year after the ban on smoking in public places was brought in by the Scottish Government.

However, the rules can be legally enforced only inside buildings.

The health board has previously tried other measures, including automatic voice warning systems.

caroline.wilson@ eveningtimes.co.uk