A WORCESTER pub will continue trading despite formal complaints from a neighbour who said the noise from its beer garden is making his life a misery.

Kenneth Brooks, who lives next door to the Lamb and Flag pub in the Tything, said he has endured noise from late-night revellers outside the pub ever since the indoor smoking ban was introduced in July 2007.

The Lamb and Flag has a small beer garden at the back where customers congregate to smoke, and Mr Brooks claims it is frequently being used after the 11.30pm cut-off stipulated in the pub’s licence.

But speaking at a licensing review hearing, landlord Gary Jones said that apart from on one “exceptional” evening he “did not recognise” the incidents described by his neighbour, and said Mr Brooks was the only person who had ever complained to him during 12 years as landlord.

Mr Brooks, who runs an osteopathic clinic next door to the pub, first requested the Lamb and Flag’s licence be reviewed in May last year.

No action was taken, but Mr Brooks said the problems have continued. He told the hearing: “Until the smoking ban came in in 2007 it wasn’t a problem.

“I’m not in favour of the pub being shut down, but it’s unfortunate the smoking ban has made things awkward and difficult.

“Purely and simply, if people were not outside smoking it would be a lot better.”

Mr Brooks said fireworks had been set off late at night during a private wedding celebration in September 2008, and listed five occasions in April 2009 when he said the beer garden was being used noisily after 11.30pm.

His complaint was supported by another neighbour, David Kirkwood.

The police, however, raised no objections, though officers had received three complaints about noise last year from “a local resident”.

Mr Jones apologised for the wedding celebration but described it as an “exceptional” event, and strongly disputed the other incidents of noise alleged by Mr Brooks.

The landlord said: “I find the allegations made by Mr Brooks surprising and hurtful. The pub has always kept high standards of behaviour from its customers.”

Mr Jones described his pub as a “cultural oasis”, pointing to a recent live poetry reading by the new poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

The hearing ruled the pub could continue to trade under its existing licence, stipulating only that Mr Jones keep a formal complaints book in the future.

Mr Brooks was advised to lodge any future complaints with Mr Jones, police and council licensing officers “to ensure they can be dealt with properly”.