A BAN on outdoor heaters could cost the UK pub and catering industry £250million a year in lost trade, it was claimed today.

A BAN on outdoor heaters could cost the UK pub and catering industry £250million a year in lost trade, it was claimed today.

Euro-MPs are expected to back a resolution calling on the European Commission to set a timetable for abolishing goods with low energy-efficiency ratings in the battle against climate change.

The motion being debated in Brussels today specifically names patio heaters.

The Publican Market Report 2007 says the pub trade invested up to £86m on outdoor heaters in the past year to attract customers after the smoking ban forced them to drink outdoors if they wanted to smoke.

More serious, says the report, is the potential long-term loss of income for pubs, cafes and restaurants which rely on all-weather outside areas.

Even if only 10% of the UK pub trade has outdoor facilities, a heater ban would effectively restrict outside dining for six months of the year - costing the industry up to £250m a year, or £45,000 a year for a single business.

However, a climate change expert says the heaters' impact on global warming is "very minimal".

Plasma TVs produce more carbon dioxide than patio heaters when normal use patterns are compared, claims Dr Eric Johnson, national expert reviewer for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.