A LANDLORD and his company have been ordered to pay nearly £5,000 after he was convicted for the second time of having a too-noisy pub.

Paul Edward Harris, 50, told York magistrates in July 2016 he was leaving The Clockhouse, off Kingsway West, Acomb, and getting rid of its DJ when he admitted playing loud music and serving customers after hours.

But this month he was back in court for four more offences at the same pub.

“We’re getting rid of the DJ now,” he said as they ordered him to pay £3,500 in fines, £1,069.26 prosecution costs and a £320 statutory surcharge. “I’m not sure I can pay it. It’s not a profitable business any more.”

Harris, of Moor Lane, Dringhouses, and the Clockhouse Partnership Ltd, registered address Brecksfields, Skelton, both admitted four charges of breaching the pub’s licence conditions and failure to comply with a noise abatement order.

Both admitted failure to keep the pub’s windows and doors closed after 10.30pm, playing music too loud, failure to close its beer garden by 10pm, all committed on Saturday May 26, and failure to comply with a noise abatement order and failure to keep all doors and windows closed, both committed on October 27.

Victoria Waudby, prosecuting for City of York Council, said the pub’s entertainment on May 26 between 11pm and 11.20pm was so loud it stopped people sleeping properly in a nearby house.

Officers served a noise abatement notice, but on October 27, music could again be heard in the house between 10.55 pm and 11.11pm.

Harris said he had been in charge of the pub for nearly 17 years and blamed the DJ for playing music with a loud bass. He claimed he had to keep the front door open for fire regulations reasons and that staff regularly checked the beer garden was closed after 10pm.