A LAST-DITCH effort by residents to stop a pub playing music into the early hours has failed.

Now residents are set to move away, it has been claimed.

The Watermill in Park Lane, Kidderminster, can now open until 1am on Thursday and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays following approval by Severnminster Magistrates at the annual licensing session.

The pub had previously been allowed a public entertainments licence following a 14-month battle with residents who claimed noise and anti-social behaviour from drunken revellers was ruining their lives.

An earlier application for the entertainment licence had been turned down but a judge at Worcester Crown Court allowed an appeal against the decision.

This paved the way for the application for a Section 77 certificate allowing the pub to serve food and drink into the early hours of the morning on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Park Lane Residents Association chairman Anita Beavis said she was disappointed.

"I couldn't go to the hearing myself but I posted 37 letters of objection to the latest application. However it hasn't made the slightest difference so it now looks as though we are going to have to live with it.

"Many residents have difficulties sleeping as it is but we now face disruption up until 3 o'clock in the morning. I don't relish the thought of that all."

She added: "I have lived in Park Lane for 14 years. The first seven until the pub came along were peaceful but now I can see more families moving away."

Watermill manager Rob McNeill said there was a demand for later hours from customers who did not want to move on to a nightclub environment.

He said although he sympathised with residents, it could not be proved problems had stemmed from his customers.

"Hopefully things for residents should improve because customers will be staying in the pub instead of moving on to the clubs," he added.