Residents of Church Street, Calne, are furious after district councillors backed plans for the former Conservative Club to become a Chinese restaurant.

Neighbours in Church Street, a conservation area, are petitioning the council to stop the 100-seat restaurant going ahead.

On Wednesday last week North Wiltshire District Council granted the change of use application that was made by Jung Chi, of Church Street.

Mr Chi still needs to get councillors to agree to installation of an extract flue before the restaurant can open.

Alice Bellamy, whose home is 15 yards away from the planned restaurant, said: "If this restaurant goes ahead it will make our lives very uncomfortable.

"If it was an English restaurant it would be different but with a Chinese or Indian restaurant the smells permeate the area.

"Also they will be banging woks together until late and making lots of noise.

"Just recently the amount of anti social behaviour around Church Street has died down but if this goes ahead I am afraid it will increase."

Another neighbour, Stephen Hann, who lives opposite the building, claims noise and the smell of people smoking will make his life intolerable.

He said: "As people can't smoke inside groups of people will gather outside the building to smoke.

"The entrance is right next to my bedroom window and we will be able to hear gangs of people shouting late into the night."

However, councillors felt the restaurant would boost the town's evening economy.

Speaking at the meeting, Coun Tony Trotman said: "I appreciate most of the objections are from nearby neighbours, worried about the affect on their lives, but I think we have an opportunity for this building to take on the role of regenerating business in Church Street."

Mr Chi, who owns Wong's House takeaway, said: "I am very happy to have got the planning permission and I am looking forward to opening in a couple of months.

"We will have a filter so people do not need to worry about the smells."