A BUSINESSMAN has angered his neighbours with plans to extend the hours of drinking on his premises.

Portman Street Residents' Association chairman Ken Sargent said he had already told Steve Cochrane, owner of the Psyche department store, in Middlesbrough, what he thinks of the plan.

Mr Sargent and his neighbours are objecting to plans to allow drinking on the premises until 2am every day of the week, with live and recorded music and films.

Earlier this year, Middlesbrough Council upset residents and Cleveland Police with plans to introduce a one-way traffic system for two-way Garnet Street, that would let the Linthorpe Road store site a glass lift to service a top floor restaurant and create a large pavement caf.

The department store already has a ground floor caf and a top floor restaurant, both licensed.

Mr Cochrane says in a statement to go before Middlesbrough Council's licensing sub committee next Monday that the premises target an older, more affluent customer, with closed-circuit television cameras installed and a concierge and licensed door staff to be used when needed.

"Because the restaurant is at a high elevated position, 15 metres from street level, sound does not impinge. However, volume limitation devices will be fitted to amplifiers,'' he says in his statement.

Mr Sargent said: "It's going to affect residents' standard of living with more noise, more fights in the street and more disturbance.

"That is what I say and a lot more feel the same way."