brewery bosses have imposed a music ban on a city centre pub.

Drinkers at the Colpitts Hotel, in Durham, usually get to listen to background music from CDs belonging to landlady Carol Brown.

But this Christmas the festive tunes have been switched off.

The ban is understood to be partly in response to plans to increase the cost of a licence to play music, to cover higher record company royalties.

But landlady and customers are unhappy at the decision, which they say has ruined the atmosphere and is driving drinkers away.

Regular customer Terry Bell, 62, said: "I have been coming here since I was 18 and there has always been music.

"The music isn't too loud, it's unobtrusive and there is a wide variety, from Gracie Fields to Van Morrison and Robbie Williams."

Mrs Brown has been barred from dicussing the ban by brewer Samuel Smiths, of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

Samuel Smiths said it would not comment on the ban, but it is understood to be linked to plans by Phonographic Performance, the body that makes sure record companies receive royalties, to increase the cost of licences in 2006.