Residents of Association Street, in Shildon, say they have witnessed everything from drunken brawls to people urinating in the street and drug dealing outside The Three Tuns pub.

And now they are preparing to oppose owner, William Drennan, over an application to extend the pub's morning opening hours.

In his application to Durham County Council, Mr Drennan said he has a club with more than 100 members, many of them over 60, who had requested he open the pub earlier to accommodate their morning routines.

Mr Drennan, who runs the pub with his wife, wants to open the pub at 9am every day. He currently opens at 10am daily with the exception of Sunday when it is 11am.

If approved, Mr Drennan would also be able to sell alcohol and play recorded music from 9am each day.

In his application, he said outdoor music would only be played in the spring and summer months and not after 10pm.

The couple said they would monitor the early morning shifts and not sell alcohol to anyone who looked like they had already been drinking.

However, the council’s Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee will be hearing representations from all parties after 17 letters of objection were received during the consultation period.

Resident Mrs Linsley said she and her husband’s lives had been made a “misery” because of anti-social behaviour from the pub.

She also listed several incidents the couple claim to have experienced including fights with shovels, shoes and other “drunken brawls” in which one woman apparently suffered a broken jaw.

Mrs Linsley also said cars had been damaged in the cul-de-sac and taxis and other cars created a nuisance when picking up patrons while glass, cigarettes and gum were always left strewn in front of residents’ homes.

Mrs Linsley said one incident in the middle of the night had left her so distressed that she confronted Mr Drennan in her “nightie”.

Mr Linsley also strongly objected to the application saying there was no need for the pub to open earlier and in fact the hours should be shortened.

Another resident, Mr Ryman said he objected in the “strongest possible terms” to the applications over concerns with noise, potential antisocial behaviour and taxis using the cul-de-sac.

Durham County Councillors Henry Nicholson and Shirley Quinn initially objected but later said their concerns had been alleviated. No objections were received from the council’s planning department, Durham Local Safeguarding Children Board, the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service or Durham Police's Alcohol Harm Reduction Unit.

The board will be asked to consider if they can approve the application considering three points: crime and disorder, public safety and the prevention of public nuisance.

A decision should be made at the meeting on July 3.

YOUR VIEWS:

Name supplied: "I cannot see the point of a public house opening their doors at 9am. This gives people the opportunity to drink longer and get more drunk and possibly violent. I don't know anyone who thinks drinking at 9am is good for anyone."

Name supplied: "Who in their right mind wants to start drinking at 9am in the morning?"

Name supplied: "I don't think one hour early on a morning would make a difference and as for the chewing gum and mess on the paths, it has nothing to do with a pub."