Furious residents yesterday vowed to fight for action against "unbearable noise" after a pub was granted consent to open until the early hours of the morning.

Castle Point Council agreed the upstairs music bar in the Haystack pub in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, should be allowed to stay open until 12.30am on Thursdays and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Homeowners in Oak Road and Long Road had bombarded the council with petitions and letters, pleading with them not to add to the problems they have already.

Residents' spokesman Gordon Wilkinson of Oak Road, said: "We are regularly subjected to noise harassment from youngsters who meet at the Oak Road car park.

"We believe they are people from the Haystack. This happens most weekends between midnight and 2am. We have shouting, singing, foul language, loud radio music, sounding of vehicle horns and the revving of engines.

"The hedge is used as a urinal. Extended opening hours will only attract more people to the Haystack. We will now have additional harassment over longer periods which is entirely unacceptable."

However, solicitor David Hook, acting on behalf of the Haystack, said the noise problems were not the pub's fault.

He said that crowds coming from other late night venues around the area descended on the crossroads area outside the pub at around 2am - when the Haystack is closed - to eat takeaways and sit in their cars.

He said that added security which comes with a 2am licence would help ease the situation and the extended opening hours would only be used by existing customers to stop them going to rival late-night venues. It was not a bid to attract new clientele.

Councillor Chris Freeman said; "This has come up so many times before. All that will happen if this extension is granted is the problem will be made a lot worse. This will not be a public house any more - it will be a nightclub."

Insp Chris Wood of Canvey police said that any increase in people on the streets at 2am would only make the job for his officers more difficult.

But the licensing committee allowed the extended hours provided all door staff were licensed with Southend Council, there was no admission after 11pm, and CCTV operated 24 hours a day.

The council also agreed to look into the problems at Oak Road public car park.

After the decision, Mr Wilkinson said: "We are very disappointed but now perhaps the council will take it further by agreeing to close Oak Road car park in the evenings to stop people gathering.

"They are making our lives a misery."

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