THE landlord of a controversial pub is celebrating after months of battling to get a karaoke licence.

Raymond Duberry, of the Lamb Inn, Clayton-le-Moors, was given the entertainment licence after a meeting of Hyndburn Council's Judicial Committee this week.

But he said the good news was tainted as he was now facing a new fight to save his business.

Outside the meeting he said he had been forced to borrow money to keep the Whalley Road pub afloat.

He told the hearing: "I have lost about £3,000 because I wasn't allowed to have the karaoke nights while the committee made its decision and work was done to the pub."

"I am almost bankrupt because of the wait for the licence, and if I hadn't got it I would have left the pub because karaoke is such an important part of pub life."

Mr Duberry, the Lamb's fourth licensee in just 13 months, faced challenges from furious neighbours who claimed their quality of life had been destroyed by constant late-night noise and rowdy behaviour coming from the Lamb.

Hyndburn Council received a catalogue of complaints about the pub, but had not receive a single one since Mr Duberry was appointed in March by Solihull-based pub group Enterprise Inns.

Mr Duberry said: "I know there were problems with the other landlords but it is like I am reaping what they sowed. I stopped putting the karaoke nights on as soon as I was told by the council that I had to."

At the start of the meeting, Mr Duberry and objector James Folley, of New Church Close, were told by chairman Councillor Brian Roberts to keep control of their tempers. He said he did not want a repeat of a previous stormy hearing in June, which sparked an inquiry into the number of Clayton pubs operating unlicensed karaoke nights.

Summing up, Councillor Roberts told Mr Duberry: "We have voted unanimously to grant the licence because you have recognised the need to reduce the noise from the pub. But environmental health action can and will be taken if there are more complaints."

The decision to grant the entertainment licence, which runs from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 12 noon to 10.30pm on Sundays, infuriated Mr Folley.

Speaking outside the meeting, he said: "I have made an appointment to get my house valued because my wife and I don't want to put up with this. There are other avenues to explore as well but we are very disappointed."

"The councillors don't have to put up with people urinating in their streets and throwing eggs into their gardens. I speak on behalf of other residents who live near the pub and they feel the council pays scant regard to our quality of life."

Peter Robinson, Hyndburn Council's chief environmental services officer, said just one Clayton pub had been running illegal karaoke nights, and its licensee had been told to stop.