A karaoke bar in Hitchin where a customer allegedly ‘mooned’ neighbours has been refused permission to extend its opening hours.

Let’s Party, based in Bucklersbury in the town centre, wanted to change its closing time from midnight to 1.30am on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

But at a licensing sub-committee meeting on Thursday (October 3), North Herts councillors refused to grant permission for the change.

During a behind closed doors section of the meeting, they watched footage that allegedly showed a customer ‘mooning’ neighbours who had complained about noise from the bar.

Applicant Antonio Miceli said the behaviour was “not acceptable” and continued: “You can clearly see me telling them to quieten down.”

The person “had two bottles that were nothing to do with me,” he added.

Frank Fender, representing Mr Miceli, suggested the video footage may have “cherry-picked” incidents rather than being “representative”.

Other footage reportedly showed “rowdy drunk customers” singing and shouting in the street.

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Environmental health asked for permission for the extension to be refused, citing existing noise problems.

A noise abatement notice was issued in February, after which complaints from neighbours stopped.

But, an officer said, this was because one neighbour had a “fear of reprisals” and another “stayed elsewhere due to the noise”.

Anthony Evans-Pugh, speaking on behalf of neighbours, said they had been “subjected to a vicious social media campaign” and had been “taunted [and] abused” after their complaints. He said bar customers had “jeered and pointed” at the neighbours’ properties.

According to Mr Evans-Pugh, the neighbours have not previously complained about any other businesses in the area.

During a visit to the neighbours, an environmental health officer saw a table and ‘disco lights’ outside the bar.

He said: “These lights blur the line between the internal and external areas … and invite patrons to spread out across the area, ‘bringing the party’ outside.” Mr Miceli said the table and lights have been removed.

The officer insisted noise from the bar was “clearly audible and intrusive” to neighbours, creating a “significant noise disturbance”. He also said there had been “no assessment” of precisely where noise from the building was escaping from.

Mr Miceli said he had spent £1,200 installing noise-reducing ‘acoustic pads’ outside the front of the bar in the week before the sub-committee meeting.

According to Mr Fender, other “improvements” have also been made this year, including employing a doorman, adding insulation, and moving a karaoke area to a different part of the building.

Mr Fender said Mr Miceli “has tried to be a good neighbour” and “there is a clear market demand” for karaoke in Hitchin.

Hertfordshire police raised no objections to the proposed extended hours, but suggested adding condition making the doorman a requirement.

In refusing permission for the extension, the committee raised concerns about Mr Miceli being “unable to produce any objective evidence” that the newly-installed acoustic pads were “lawful” in planning terms.

The committee’s decision notice added that the amount of noise audible to neighbours was “not at acceptable levels”.

It continued: “There has been a number of concerns over a prolonged period over the management of the premises.

“Given the problems experienced with anti-social behaviour and disorder, extending the drinking hours to 1am would be likely to see an increase in anti-social and criminal behaviour and disorder.

“The applicant was being reactive instead of proactive.”

Last year, a similar application from Let’s Party was rejected after the committee heard an unlicensed karaoke event had taken place at a nearby barber shop, also owned by Mr Miceli.

There may yet be a third application. In public comments on social media, Mr Miceli said he was “furious” and “upset” with the latest rejection, but added: “Third time lucky.”

He said: “I will continue to work with all authorities and neighbours as I have always tried to.”