POLICE and environmental officials have withdrawn their objections to a drinks licence being granted for events in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral.

Carol Stefanczuk, assistant licensing and registration officer, speaking at a city council licensing sub-committee meeting, said although there were noise concerns for residents living nearby, conditions could be imposed to minimise the effects.

But Garth Warns, a resident of Colebrook Street, expressed his concerns over the application, and said previous events in the cathedral grounds had meant his two children have been kept awake at night.

He also said that their home had been vandalised and windows smashed after events in the grounds.

"The noise was what we would call unbearable and intolerable. It's disrupted our quality of life quite considerably," said Mr Warns.

Charlotte Boyd, spokesman for the cathedral, told the committee: "The events we have held have included outdoor theatre, where people have been invited to bring their own picnics, and craft markets with less than 500 people attending."

She said there were no plans to stage anything different in the future, aside from the Christmas market and ice rink which start tomorrow (Friday), and said getting the licence would stop the cathedral from the time consuming process of submitting applications for temporary permits, of which they had nine last year.

Cllr Robert Johnston asked how it would affect the alcohol exclusion zone in the city, and John Myall, licensing and registration officer, said: "We can't have an alcohol exclusion zone where there are licensed premises.

"If this is granted the zone will go completely for the duration of the event."

Operations sergeant for Hampshire Constabulary central OCU, Neil Jenkins, said he was happy for the licence to be granted, and said it was no different from the type of licence used by Hat Fair organisers earlier in the year Adrian Munns, the receiver general at the cathedral, said the majority of events causing noise were wedding receptions.

"I agree there has been a noise nuisance and what we have tried to do is reach a compromise," he said.

Mr Munns added that a decibel level had been agreed, and said that the cathedral, too, had experienced criminal damage from events.

He said that no alcohol could be consumed on the ice rink.

Cllr Cecily Sutton, chairman of the licensing sub-committee, said it had "carefully considered" the application and agreed to permit the licence on the conditions that no strong beer - over 5.5 per cent - was sold, and that supervisors ensured noise levels were "regularly checked".