A Guisborough pub licencee has been criticised for making a last-minute withdrawal of a controversial application to extend its opening hours.

Alison Round, licencee of The Buck, applied to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's licensing committee for a public entertainment licence. This would allow the pub to stay open until 1am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

But the police, local people and local MP Ashok Kumar objected to the proposals because of fears of noise and rowdy behaviour.

The committee met on Wednesday to discuss the case to find that the application had been withdrawn.

Councillor Brenda Forster, chairman of the committee, accused the pub's representatives of having bad manners.

"I am very disappointed that the applicant didn't inform the committee beforehand - an officer had to ring the pub and ask if they were going to attend only to be told no because they had decided they were withdrawing," she said.

She was also critical because pensioners had travelled from Guisborough to Eston Town Hall to attend the meeting to voice their objections.

Dr Kumar accused the licensees of being discourteous to local people.

"I think the very least the pub and their legal representatives should do is to give an apology for not giving earlier notice of their intention to withdraw their application.

"I also think that this behaviour will weigh heavily on the minds of the licensing committee members if any future application is made by them."

Mrs Round said she was told by her solicitor on Tuesday evening that the application was to be adjourned until further notice but said she intended to go ahead with the application.

"We have got a petition with more than 500 signatures from people who want the late licence. We are not planning to have loud music but background music and serve food from 11pm until 1am. I have got three kids upstairs so I don't want loud music.

"I do apologise to the people who went to the town hall but at the end of the day, I only found out on Tuesday that my solicitor was going to withdraw. I didn't even know."