LICENSING chiefs were today deciding whether two York pubs should win the right to stay open until the small hours - despite furious objections from residents.

More than 70 people have sent protest letters to licensing officers over plans to extend hours at the Walnut Tree pub in leafy Heworth.

Residents are also unhappy about plans by the Evil Eye Lounge in the city centre to open until 3am - four hours later than its current weekday closing time.

Worried householders say their quality of life will be severely affected if the bars are allowed to stay open later.

The Walnut Tree has applied to extend its opening hours until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 1am on Friday and Saturday - an extra two hours on its current closing time.

Heworth ward councillor Viv Kind wrote on behalf of several furious locals.

"Residents are concerned at the potential noise nuisance that would be caused by entertainment continuing until 1.30am," she said.

But landlord Christopher Swales reassured neighbours he would continue to be a responsible licensee if his application were granted.

"They (protesters) have said there'll be loud music coming from the pub - but I've said the live music will finish at 10.30pm," he said. "I've imposed restrictions on myself.

"The pub gets blamed for every single bit of noise disturbance in the area.

"In the year I've been here I've tried to be a really responsible citizen - if people have come to me with a complaint, I've acted on it straight away."

Meanwhile, an application for the Evil Eye Lounge, in Stonegate, has sparked more protest letters, including one from the York Medical Society which houses tenants in Stonegate.

Administrator Terry Herbert said: "The thought of amplified music being fully audible in their bedrooms until 3am or 3.30am in the morning is unbearable, unjust and inhumane."

The bar has said if it was allowed to open until 3am, no new drinkers would be allowed in from 1.45am.

Owner Ian Loftus said: "Everyone assumes that if we've got a 3am licence you're going to stay open until 3am (every night).

"Our bar is a very open bar. It's very much what you'd find in France or Italy. We've never had fights, we've never had any trouble, we don't play banging night music."

Because of complex legislation, the bar had to submit applications to both planning and licensing chiefs to extend its hours.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said planning chiefs were recommending the application to extend the bar's licensing hours be refused.

Updated: 09:40 Friday, September 30, 2005