VILLAGERS who feared a "nightclub" in their quiet community would make their lives unbearable have won a partial victory at an historic meeting.

Eric and Tina Pope are the first landlords to apply for a variation of their Winterborne Kingston pub licence since responsibility passed to the district council.

But their request to sell alcohol and play music until 3am each morning provoked a storm of protest.

One woman will already get a reduced pension because she can't get enough sleep, a neighbour has installed double glazing and a Royal Marine wears ear defenders because of antics at The Greyhound Inn, it was claimed.

The parish council accused the pair of trying to turn the pub into a nightclub but Mr Pope said he was promoting a more relaxed attitude to drinking.

Criticisms had been "grossly exaggerated" and one opposer "told lies", he said before chairman Cllr Derek Beer intervened.

"It's not our intention to cause rifts in the community," Mr Pope said.

Civil servant Elisabeth Malin, 58, said she had stopped working on Mondays because of lack of sleep on Sunday nights - this was affecting her income now and would mean a reduced pension.

"The quality of my life has already been affected - I don't think I can cope with a lack of sleep until 3am each morning," she said.

Warrant Officer II Paul Simpson told the members he had called police one night as he believed a woman was being attacked but it was a couple at the pub having a row, he said.

As a Royal Marine he was on call 24/7 but was kept awake by noise - including dogs which whined and barked day and night, he said.

"I even wear ear defenders," he said.

North Street resident Martin Cuff said he had installed brand-new double-glazing to keep the noise out and a big fan because "we can't have our windows open in the summer".

"What a way to live," he added.

The committee granted the licence from 11am till 3am every day on the condition the pub employed well-trained door staff to ensure customers left quietly.

The Popes offered to accept an entertainment licence which lasted daily till 11.30pm.

First published: August 17, 2005