From the Dover Mercury 19 March 1998.

Landlord ordered to close noisy pub.

A DOVER publican is to appeal after losing his licence following complaints about noise and after-hours drinking.

Andrew McKenna will have to close the Battle of Britain public house in West Street when his licence expires on April 4, unless his appeal is successful or he is granted an extension while the appeal is heard.

Licensing justices were told on Friday that residents who complained about excessive noise had asked that their names and addresses were not revealed.

Police Sgt Pat Geary, of the licensing unit, said many of the residents were elderly and lived alone. "During 1997 we gave advice to Mr McKenna about after-hours drinking and the law relating to private parties," she said.

Sgt Geary said on one occasion over Christmas officers attended at 1.46am following calls about a disturbance outside and found people still in the pub. She said the officers received a "less than welcome" response from Mr McKenna who, she claimed, had shown a "blatant disregard" for his near neighbours, a total disregard for licensing regulations and a lack of respect for Dover council officers investigating noise complaints.

The council's technical officer - Ann Carey visited a house near the pub following complaints of noise and said with the doors, windows and curtains closed the noise was still excessive.

She went to the pub and asked Mr McKenna to turn the music down. He said he didn't feel the noise was excessive, customers liked it, and if he reduced the volume he thought he would lose some trade. He closed the windows and doors.

Mrs Carey said she went back on another two occasions, but each time it had quietened down. The council had received 12 complaints since September 1997, mainly from three people.

Mr McKenna met council officers and agreed to reduce the number of events with live music to one a month, improve the management of the pub, and improve sound insulation. He had since installed some double glazing.

The court was told the council served a noise abatement notice on February 9, and there had been no complaints since then. But the justices refused to renew his licence.