HEALTH Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn has thrown his weight behind objections to a noisy pub.

Mr Milburn pledged his support for the plight of people living close the Wheatsheaf pub, in Yarm Road.

Plans to turn the Wheatsheaf into a theme pub with an entertainment licence has angered people living in the Lynton Gardens and Hewitson Road area.

They say the pub is already too noisy - particularly for young families living nearby -and are submitting a 180-signature petition to Darlington Borough Council objecting to the proposals.

One local resident, who did not wish to be named, said he had been plagued by noise from the pub.

He said his four-year-old son, who is recovering from pneumonia, could not sleep at night.

Mr Milburn said: "Residents living near pubs expect a certain amount of noise and disturbance at night. That is all part of living near a local pub.

"But living next door to a theme bar is totally different. Music is generally louder, people drink more and it is the neighbours, many with young families, that have to put up with the consequences."

Other residents, including pensioner George Coates and his wife, said they had not had problems, but feared a theme pub would mean extra nuisance for them.

Mr Coates, 77, said: "We have lived right next door for 30 years and we have never had any problems.

"It seems a shame that the troubles will start when we have reached my time of life.

"We are directly next door to the pub and will be kept awake by the noise."

Mr Milburn said: "People going out and having a good time isn't the problem. The issue is whether it is responsible or fair to encourage this type of night-out right next to people's homes."

The proposed refurbishment of the pub would involve installing a dance floor and removing a conservatory overlooking the car park.

The application will be heard at a planning meeting at the town hall on May 10. The entertainment licence application will go before councillors on May 22.

Staff at the Wheatsheaf pub declined to comment on the plans.