Disappointed fundraisers have hit out at "petty" bureaucrats who have forced them to cancel a charity concert.

The Lobster Smack Inn on Canvey was ready to welcome scores of people through its doors last Sunday to see the band Rock Solid.

But police saw their advertisements and told pub staff there was no way the outdoor event was going ahead without a £160 entertainments licence.

They were told they could face a £20,000 fine or six months imprisonment if they ignored the warning.

John Norris, organiser of the fundraising event and member of the pub's angling club, said he thought the move was "utterly ridiculous".

He said: "It's an absolute joke really. We'd been planning this for a couple of months and everything was organised.

"Everything we raised was going to be handed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and now we've had to cancel."

Mr Norris paid a trip to Castle Point Council to find out exactly what the problem was and was told he needed a special licence and would have to pay out nearly £200 for just one day.

Mr Norris said: "That really does take the biscuit. This was supposed to be a charity event for a very good cause and they turn round and say that.

"I can't believe the fines either. You'd get less than that for robbing a supermarket. It's a damn shame."

A spokesman for Castle Point Council said: "The police made us aware of the situation at the Lobster Smack and we visited the premises to advise the licensee of the legal requirements of any entertainment.

"We also discussed the matter with the angling club and gave them a list of alternative venues in the area which are more suitable.

"Whether people like it or not, the law is there for public safety."

PC Jessica Fisher, licensing officer at Rayleigh police station, said she understood the club's disappointment.

She said: "The law has to be applied to everybody and is in place to protect public safety, not to make money.

"There are many other places on the island where they can put on this event."

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