COUNCILLORS have rejected a music venue's plea to stay open until the early hours.

The Fish Tank, above Bimbis fish and chip shop in Neville Street, off North Road, hosts bands and DJs.

It applied to Durham City Council's licensing panel to extend its public entertainment licence until 2am. But the application was rejected following objections from police and neighbours.

Police said the sound from the venue would cause a deterioration in the quality of life of residents and that the management had been told that windows had been left open on several occasions.

Police said they were also worried that if the licence application was successful it could pave the way for other club-type operations in the streets.

Residents also said that raw sewage spilled from a private manhole connected to the business when it was open and that there were concerns about the positioning of rubbish bins.

The panel refused the application and recommended that the concerns be dealt with before any re-application is made.