Noisy smokers could put landlord in court

1:45pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

LANDLORD faces court action and a hefty fine unless he quietens noisy smokers in his pub car park.

Residents living near to the Grey Mare Inn in Harwood have made complaints to Bolton Council about punters making a noise.

Town hall bosses have served three abatement notices on landlord Derek Gallagher and have urged him to take action.

A council spokesman said: "This is not a new issue. We have had a number of complaints from people living near the premises and we have been liaising with the brewery and the Designated Premises Supervisor over the last 12 months to try to reach a solution about the excessive noise.

"Unfortunately, this has not resolved the issues and we have now served three abatement notices.

"This is not just an issue about a few people having a cigarette outside the pub, but groups of people who tend to gather on benches in the car park, drinking and being excessively noisy, as well as the break out of amplified music from within the premises, which is audible in residential properties."

Mr Gallagher, who took over the pub in Tottington Road in December, 2006, said: "This is happening because of the smoking ban. About 90 per cent of the people who come into the pub smoke and the Government is forcing them outside.

"I have put up notices around the pub asking people to be quiet when they are outside and have a strict policy that glasses are not allowed outside after 9.30pm. I don't know what more I can do.

"We have live music on a Saturday night and I had to cancel the band last weekend, which meant takings were down, but I can't risk being fined or losing my licence.

"This must be a problem all over Bolton and the smoking ban is putting us out of business."

One resident of Hillside Close, who asked not to be named, said: "Now that people go outside for a cigarette they tend to stay outside and we can hear shouting and swearing late at night when people have had one too many.

"We can also hear the music at weekends and it is not fair on the residents if they want to go to sleep.

"I am not against him making a success of the business, but you can't just take the money and let people run riot."