A CONVENIENCE store has been granted a licence to sell alcohol despite objections lodged by neighbours.

The Corner Shop, in McDonald Avenue, Farnworth, will be licensed to sell drinks for consumption outside the premises between 8am and 10pm.

The application was submitted by manager Dlvan Mohamad, but Bolton Council's Licensing Committee also received an objection from Sanjay Pindoria, who claimed that the shop was selling "unofficial tobacco and cigarette products" to underage customers.

Mr Pindoria, who operates the post office across the street from The Corner Shop, also claimed groups of young people regularly gathered in the area and caused "disturbances very late at night".

Following these objections, licensing officers approached police who said they had dealt with a number of anti-social behaviour incidents at the shop involving young people.

However, officers did not lodge an objection to the plans and there was no evidence given that cigarettes had been sold to underage children.

June Clarke, who represented Mr Mohamad, labelled the accusations in the objection as "spurious and without merit".

She added: "On three occasions in the Letter of Objection, Mr Pindoria accuses my client's shop of selling unofficial tobacco or single cigarettes to underage persons and yet Mr Pindoria has not submitted any evidence to support these allegations."

She referred to evidence put forward by the operator of an ice cream store next to The Corner Shop, Mr Bux, who said he had a "friendly relationship" with the youths who congregated outside the shop.

He called the group "a little excitable and boisterous" but said he had experienced no concerning incidents.

Chairing the panel, Cllr Paul Wild said the council would limit the alcohol sale hours of the shop so that drinks can only be sold to 10pm rather than midnight as was originally suggested in the application.

He said the committee - including Cllr Maureen Flitcroft and Cllr Cliff Morris - had "taken into account the noted history of anti-social behaviour in the area" but found the licensing could be granted.

The Corner Shop is located in a section of units on the site of the former Church Inn pub.