Lily Allen smokes on stage

London: Pop star Lily Allen flouted the UK smoking ban once again during a recent gig despite suffering from a chest infection.The singer puffed on a cigarette throughout her show at the Men Arena in Manchester as part of her tour with rapper Dizzee Rascal, Contactmusic reported.

Allen was forced to apologise for her off-key vocals, telling fans she had been struck down with bronchitis. "I`ve got a bout of bronchitis so sorry if my singing is a bit bad. Not that it`s any good anyway," Allen said. The `Smile` hitmaker was at the centre of an investigation by local authorities in Liverpool in December, after she lit up during a performance. She also received a fine last year after smoking onstage in Paris, France. Smoking in public places in both Britain and France was outlawed in 2007. PTI