A PROPOSAL to keep a Tenby nightclub open until 4.30am on some evenings has been put on hold until next week, despite concerns from residents and local business owners about revellers turning the town’s Upper Frog Street into a “Wild West” strewn with vomit, urine, and faeces.

Applicant Mark Thomson sought a variation of its premises licence for the Prince of Wales, off Upper Frog Street, at Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing subcommittee, meeting last Friday, July 1.

Complaints of noise, rowdy and anti-social behaviour, bad language and late-night disturbances have been made in letters to the subcommittee, with some objectors expressing fears that later opening hours would worsen the situation.

Applicant Mark Thomson told the council: “The proposed variation is to increase the flexibility of the premises whilst reducing crime and disorder, by allowing customers to gradually disperse by extending licensable hours.”

He said the Prince currently had a licence to 3am, while the Sands nightclub in nearby Saundersfoot could stay open to 4am.

The licence application seeks permission to serve alcohol until 4am.

Mr Thomson told members of the committee the Prince contributed £123,000 a year to the local economy, adding: “Custom into Tenby would reduce if there was no ‘destination venue’, that was seen last year when the Sands closed its doors, if you speak to the publicans within Saundersfoot and you ask them about the damage to their trade it’s quite substantial.”

While concerns were raised about late-night music, the majority of complaints were about noise and antisocial behaviour from revellers gathering in Upper Frog Street.

Amongst the complaints raised were: “…urine, faeces and vomit quite often greet us left by customers leaving the club”, “…the noise of numbers of drunk and frequently violent and aggressive people”, “In the town centre of a quaint tourist destination that sells itself as a family resort with seaside entertainment and sporty endeavour you don’t expect drunken louts all through the night clubbing. This is Tenby, Pembrokeshire…not Magaluf or the student union in Bangor even.”

Another concerned objector referred to the ‘dark period’ in Tenby’s recent history when it attracted a large number of stag and hen parties, adding: “Please do the ‘right’ thing for Tenby and reject this application outright, it is imperative that you send a ‘message’ to the licenced premises community in Tenby saying that such opening hours cannot be supported now in the future.”

Richard Williams, owner of North Beach House, Upper Frog Street, said: “It is like the Wild West down there, if this behaviour was in the daytime we’d have a couple of police vans there dealing with the people, I don’t know how this behaviour is tolerated.”

Tenby Town Council Clerk Andrew Davies said: “We acknowledge the premises appears to be well managed, the problem is on the streets outside.”

Summing up his representations, Mr Thomson said no concerns had been raised by any statutory consultees or by the police, adding: “We are responsible operators, we will not do anything to jeopardise ourselves or others.”

Members of the committee deferred making a decision for five working days, meaning the earliest it could be made is this Friday, July 8.