by John Harrington
Residents are continuing to lodge unfounded and 'bloody ridiculous' objections to pub licence applications.
That is the message from scores of licensees who back the Morning Advertiser's drive to get the national press and politicians to 'Lay off my Local'.
Petitions signed by regulars who support their cherished pub continue to fill the MA's post bag - more than 8,000 signatures have been collected so far.
Kevin Camale, tenant at Shepherd Neame's Saracens Head in Deal, Kent, said the 10 objections he received were all 'bloody ridiculous'. Three objections were thrown out immediately because the people complaining lived too far from the pub.
One woman objected to Camale's bid to have six live music events a year because she said the noise from the musicians - a duo who play up to four times a year - made her bedroom vibrate.
But the council decided she lives too far away for this to be a problem.
The licensee, who was granted 1am opening on Fridays and Saturdays and midnight on the rest of the week, said: 'It was a bit of a witch hunt. Maybe they've been reading the Daily Mail.'
John and Gail Davies received 20 representations for their bid to open an extra hour on Fridays and Saturdays at the Flower Pot in Macclesfield, Cheshire. But only two people bothered to attend the council hearing.
John Davies, tenant at the Frederic Robinson pub, said the objections were based on 'misinformed information'.
He said one person believed the pub would be open all hours, with live music throughout the night and drunkards spilling into the street.
The resident falsely claimed that needles and drink cans littered the beer garden.
Another resident complained that customers would park on his road - but the licensees pointed out that the Flower Pot's car park has 70 spaces.
Davies said that the food-led pub had a well-behaved customer base and did not attract trouble. 'It was a lot of fuss and nonsense about nothing,' he complained.
l To join the MA campaign, download a poster and petition from www.morningadvertiser.co.uk. When you've collected enough signatures send it to the address on page 18, including the pub's name and address.