COUNCILLORS adjourned a meeting about a village pub's application to extend its opening hours yesterday.

Landlord Peter Hamilton wants The Hardwick Arms, in Sedgefield, to open longer.

The pub's licence enables it to serve alcohol between 11am and 11pm, Monday to Saturday, and noon to 10.30pm on Sundays.

Mr Hamilton wants to extend the hours of drinking, including staying open to midnight on Friday and Saturdays, 11pm on Sundays and midnight on patron saints days, St Valentine's Day and American Independence Day.

He also wants permission to offer customers 45 minutes drinking-up time compared with the present 20 minute limit.

But the proposal has angered some residents and business people in the village who fear the move would increase unsociable behaviour.

A hearing into the application was held by Sedgefield Borough Council's licensing 2 sub-committee yesterday, but had to be adjourned for legal reasons.