PUB HOURS BATTLE IN LANARK

The Area Licensing Board says `Yes’ to that question but the premises claiming to be Clydesdale’s only true nightclub spent a day in court arguing it was totally unfair.

In a full day session at Lanark Sheriff Court, Images in Lanark’s Wellgate argued its case for being given 3am opening on Fridays and Saturdays, attempting to overturn a February decision by the board that it must close at 1am like every other `pub’ premises in the area.

A solicitor for Images repeatedly pointed out that this was placing the Lanark business at an unfair disadvantage, at least one nightclub in Hamilton - also in South Lanarkshire - having 3am weekend opening permitted by its local board.

Custom was also flooding out of Clydesdale to the Glasgow clubs with late-late opening, this loss of trade to the area now being aided by a special `clubbers’ bus service from here to the city and back.

A solicitor acting for Images told Sheriff Nikola Stewart that, in sticking to its 1am policy when considering Images’ application for “just four extra hours opening a week”, the Clydesdale Area Licensing Board had taken “a blunderbuss attitude”, failing to take into account what he claimed were the special circumstances of Images being a “proper nightclub” and not just a pub or hotel with occasional late functions.

For the full story, see this week’s Gazette which is on sale now.