TWO late nights a week at a popular pub in the centre of Pewsey are enough, according to members of the parish council.

They agreed on Tuesday to object to a proposal from one of their former council colleagues, Jerry Kunkler, to extend the opening hours of his pub, The Moonrakers from 11pm to midnight on Thursdays as well as on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mr Kunkler has applied to renew the public entertainment licence for the pub that recently made headlines when he introduced pole dancing as a regular attraction.

The High Street pub already had permission from Kennet District Council's licensing committee to have entertainment until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The renewal, which Kennet will

ultimately decide, asked for the same hours for Thursdays.

Coun Alex Carder spent some months living near the pub earlier this year after his own home was damaged by flooding.

He told the council that while he had no objection to later hours on Fridays and Saturdays he did not think there was a necessity on Thursday "when the next day is a working day."

Coun John Cooke said the problem was the disturbance for residents caused by people leaving the pub and opening and closing car doors.

He said he had formerly lived near the pub and was aware that children in particular were woken by the sound of car doors slamming and found it difficult to get back to sleep.

Coun Bert Shorter said he could not see there was a need for the later hours on a weekday.

He said: "If a person cannot get sufficient 'tonic' by 11pm then I feel it is a poor show."

Councillors agreed to tell the licensing committee it felt 11pm was late enough for entertainment on a Thursday.

Coun Kunkler a member of

Kennet District Council could not be contacted for comment yesterday.