RESIDENTS have got together with their local MP to object to plans to grant an entertainment licence for a former country club.

Stockton Borough Council has received an application from Bassam Mekkaoui who is seeking a licence for music, singing, dancing and sports entertainment at what was Kirklevington Country Club , near Yarm.

It is proposed to open the club from 9am to 2am, Monday to Sunday. The building has been closed for several years, but has held a licence before.

Mr Mekkaoui is a former manager of The Mall - once Stockton's biggest nightclub.

The council has received numerous letters of objection from residents who say that before the club closed they had to put up with a lot of noise and disturbance.

They have enlisted the help of their MP, Dari Taylor, in an attempt to persuade councillors from granting the licence.

Ms Taylor said: "I have received a number of letters from residents of Kirklevington village regarding the proposed re-opening of the nightclub.

"All of the letters highlight the serious problems that go hand-in-hand with this premises re-opening as a nightclub.

"These problems include the noise nuisance created by music and the disturbances caused by customers leaving the premises at very late hours, including singing, slamming of car doors and horn tooting.

"The problems of fighting, throwing beer bottles and cans are all incidents the residents had to live with up until the building closed. I feel the re-opening of this nightclub would be a retrograde step for the residents of Kirklevington.

"The very serious implications of the re-opening on the lives of the residents leaves me in no other position but to add my support to the campaign to keep the club closed."

Police in Stockton have also objected to the plan as they feel the location of the premises would mean they would find it very difficult to provide full policing cover.

Members of Stockton council's licensing committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the proposal.

Both the applicant and the objectors have been invited to the meeting.

Previous proposals for the site have included a three-storey block of 39 flats.