Pub probed by anti-terror law

Sep 19 2008 by Naomi Dunning, Chester Chronicle

“ANTI-TERROR” laws were used to spy on a Tarporley pub after residents complained of late night noise.

The Crown Hotel on High Street has been issued with an environmental health notice by Vale Royal Borough Council due to loud music being played until after midnight.

Residents complained to the council and were given surveillance equipment to monitor the sound levels from the pub.

The borough council confirmed they used the powers provided by Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), the so called “terror laws”, to detect the noise.

A council spokesperson said: “A number of complaints from residents have been received and investigated.

“The complainants recorded evidence on monitoring equipment, that had previously been provided to them, and this has resulted in the service of the abatement notice.”

This is the second time the pub has been warned about its late night noise. In 2007 it was told to clean up its act after rowdy punters and teenagers gathered outside the pub until the early hours.

This time the abatement notice tells the landlords to stop causing a noise nuisance and that the situation will continue to be monitored.

Landlady Pat Cardus said: “We are meeting up with people from Vale Royal Borough Council to discuss the issues around this.

“Due to the smoking ban many of our customers have to go out the front to smoke and this can be noisy.”