Last updated 11:26, Thursday, 27 March 2008

THE Butcher’s Arms in Maryport will remain open with reduced hours, an Allerdale licensing panel has decided.

Licensee Craig Whitehead, in an impassioned plea, said that if hours were knocked back too much he would have no option but to close the pub, which supports himself, his wife and three children.

The panel stopped short of a recommendation from police that the premises be closed at 12 midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and agreed it could stay open until 2am – an hour less than its present 3am closing time.

But Mr Whitehead was warned that he must have two door supervisors on duty from 10pm onwards, one outside to control customers who come out to smoke. CCTV must cover the whole area of the pub and footage must be stored for a minimum of 28 days.

The pub has been told it must be part of the Pub Watch radio link. No children under 18 will be allowed on the premises after 9pm at night, except the licensee’s children. The final condition was that every effort must be made to control people outside the premises.

Police applied for a review of the premises licence after 32 reported incidents in 12 months. Mr Whitehead agreed to abide by all the conditions.