FRAUGHT residents have lodged fierce objections to a York pub's plans to trade into the early hours.

Live music venue, Certificate 18, in Gillygate, has applied to City of York Council for permission to stay open until 2am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday.

The pub also wants an additional ten minutes drinking-up time.

But the authority has received 22 letters of objection from people living nearby.

A Gillygate resident wrote: "We do not need to prolong the sickening spectacle of drunks spilling out into the street during the early hours of the morning, shouting and singing, not to mention vomiting in shop doorways and on the footpath."

Christopher Styles, of Portland Street, said that an extension of hours would draw already drunken customers from "party central" at 11pm, creating "a tide of human waste washing down Gillygate".

Janet Scott, of Gillygate, said: "The problem with Certificate 18 though, is that it attracts younger people, particularly students and Goths. They come and go in large groups and they are extremely noisy.

Ms Scott went on to write that she was pleased the venue provided an "alternative pub experience" for the younger generation, but she said this was not without problems.

Gillygate residents M and L King wrote: "While we accept that we live in the city centre, with all the advantages and disadvantages that entails, we do not think it reasonable to expect us to put up with the level of noise, crime and disorder and nuisance that we think an extension would create."

Christopher and Sarah Wood, of Portland Street, York, said revellers created considerable noise by yelling, and screaming late at night.

"Certificate 18 gives very little - if anything - back to the community around it. We believe the extension of its hours would be totally detrimental, adding nothing to the quality of life of local residents," they said.

A mother who lives in Gillygate wrote: "I appreciate the pub's owner has tried to minimise the noise levels form the back of the pub, where live bands play, but the very nature of the music - heavy metal, thrash metal and death metal, inevitably means the music is very loud."

Pub bosses have said they believe extended opening hours would not lead to greater noise and there were no problems with noise in the area.

The application will be considered by councillors next Monday at The Guildhall.

Updated: 10:54 Monday, June 20, 2005