PEOPLE living in streets near a city centre pub say their lives are being made a misery by increasing noise and anti-social behaviour.

Residents of Water Lane, Chester Road and St John's Street, say they have to live with shouting, swearing, people being sick in the street, and damage to their cars in the early hours of the morning.

Now, their fears have been magnified with the news that the Blonde Beer Café, in Bridge Street, has applied for an extension to its opening hours, which would allow it to trade until 1am on Thursdays and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The trendy bar, formerly the Cricketers pub, also wants to scrap the condition that orders it to close its garden by 9pm.

One woman who has lived in St John's Street for 15 years, and who did want to be named, said: "It's mainly the noise, we can trace the noise directly to Blondes because there's people standing at the front.

"They make noise and are quite intimidating. We also have problems with anti-social behaviour, which we cannot say necessarily originates from the people leaving Blondes, but it seems to co-incide with the same sort of time."

Neighbour Suzanne Bowey, who has lived in Water Lane for 34 years with husband, Steve, said: "This is a residential area and we should be able to sleep in peace with our windows open, but now our local pub has been turned into a beer bar, encouraging young people to drink."

Winchester's Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, Steve Brine, has taken the case up on behalf of the residents.

He said the bar's owner, Sat Ghuman, was trying to run a responsible business, but said the problem lay in the pub's location near to a residential area.

Mr Brine said: "Proposals to extend licensed drinking in the area later into the night seem to have pushed them (residents) over the edge.

"Any extension of the 9pm garden licence would further disturb the peace of an area containing many elderly people, young children and working people who have to get up and do a day's work the next day.

"I am also deeply concerned for the safety of the young people queuing outside the bar who often spill out into the road on a very busy and dangerous part of Bridge Street."

Mr Ghuman said: "I do appreciate the concerns that the residents have and I have previously had good feedback about the level of noise from the venue.

"Most complaints have come about since the smoking ban was introduced, because the outside areas of the bar are being used more."

He said he was sure that all views would be taken into account when Winchester City Council makes its decision.

The authority will consider the premises' licence variation for Blonde Beer Café in October.

Representations must be received at the council offices by September 27.