A PUB has withdrawn its application to extend its opening hours until 1am after public and police opposition.

The licensees of the White Hart, Stoke Road, Gosport, applied to the borough council licensing committee to open till 1am instead of the current 11pm.

Two further Gosport pubs, Madelines and the Five Alls, which were the source of many noise complaints by residents, are due to be granted a year's licence after cleaning up their act.

Meanwhile, the White Hart pub withdrew the application the day before yesterday's hearing.

The later opening hours were opposed by the police, predicting anti-social behaviour late at night or early in the morning.

More than 50 letters of objection to the extended hours were received by the council from neighbours of the pub, fearing the premises would in effect become a nightclub.

They also complained about existing anti-social behaviour outside the pub, including vandalism, urinating in doorways and shouting in the street.

Complainants said the pub was already too noisy, and worried the problem would be worse if it was allowed to open for longer.

Longer opening hours would also encourage fast food restaurants to also open later to take advantage of the business, and increase the potential for rowdy behaviour.

Neighbours said that agreeing to the later opening would set an unwelcome precedent in Gosport. A spokesman for the White Hart refused to comment, other than to confirm the withdrawal of the licence extension application.

Public entertainment licences were granted on a six-month probationary period, on condition the Five Alls and Madelines, both on Forton Road, stopped disturbing neighbours through excessive noise.

Councillor Aleck Hayward, licensing sub-committee chairman, said: "The Five Alls and Madelines were too noisy for the neighbours, and we did receive complaints, so we gave them their licence for six months instead.

"Now it seems the pubs have cleaned up their act and we haven't received any complaints since various measures were taken. The local councillors are happy because residents are not bending their ear about disturbance.''