THE Greyhound pub in Bromham has been granted a public entertainments licence despite fears from neighbours it will exacerbate public order problems in the village.

At the meeting of Kennet District Council's licensing sub-committee on Monday, Tim and Belinda Salthouse, who have been running the Greyhound for the last few months, said that previously, occasional entertainments had been hosted without a licence. Now, however, the new landlords want all events to be above board.

But they have run into opposition from neighbours. One of them, Rob Jelley, told the meeting: "The issue here is the quality of our lives. There is no reason for the pub to have an entertainments licence. There is a social club in the village and if people want entertainment, they can go there."

He told councillors that the public car park which separates them from the pub is surrounded by walls which act as an echo chamber, amplifying any sound from people gathering there.

He said that from experience of past events, the publicans have no control over what happens outside the pub, but the party atmosphere created by live entertainment continues after closing, causing a nuisance to local people.

Another near neighbour, Joan Leyland, 83, said she was speaking on behalf of other older people in Bromham. She said: "We don't want the last few years of our lives ruined by loud music and cars."

Mr and Mrs Salthouse said they were impelled to apply for an entertainments licence by the number of people who had approached them to play at the pub. Mr Salthouse said: "Our pub is small and there would be room for no more than a trio."

Mr Salthouse added that most of the noise in the car park was caused by the boy racers who were not, as a rule, patrons, and promised to inform each neighbour by letter of any intention to apply for an extension of hours.

Councillors debated in private for about half an hour before deciding to grant, by a majority vote, the Greyhound its public entertainments licence. Sub-committee chairman, Coun Chris Humphries, said that the licence would be restricted to events inside the building and that he hoped council officers would do their best to monitor the situation closely for the first weeks.