RESIDENTS who feared a rise in drunken behaviour are celebrating after the borough's first new-style licensing hearing saw plans for extended boozing blocked.

Punch Taverns originally wanted to extend drinking hours at the Beacon Hotel, Hayes, until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 1am on bank holidays, with 30 minutes drinking-up time.

The company also applied for a licence to allow live music, disco nights and karaoke and to open at 7am for televised sporting events.

But after householders flooded the council with objections, Punch agreed to drop its bank holiday and Thursday night plans prompting police to drop their objections.

Nonetheless on Thursday, Bromley's licensing sub-committee rejected the pub's application for even one extra hour's weekend boozing and agreed only to the entertainment.

Committee chairman Councillor Tony Owen said: "This is, essentially, a residential area.

"We've placed conditions on the hotel to protect residents from nuisance."

Conditions include the fitting of a sound limiter, no garden entertainment and all doors and windows to be closed for entertainment.

Objections included a petition signed by 31 people which highlighted an incident on April 29 in which two youths and a girl urinated in the street, before having sex against a fence and then driving off, hitting a post on exiting the car park.

Pub licensee Chloe Eales said the objections were completely misleading and Punch would be appealing the decision.

She said: "It's like a witch hunt by all the old people in the area. They're trying to blame us for all the social problems in Hayes.

"We're trying to run a business and make it a family friendly pub.

"I think people don't realise it's new legislation and all pubs have to do this."

The pub may open at 7am but not serve alcohol until 10am.

It must also close its doors by 11.30pm and 11pm on Sundays.