The following month, the managers of the club successfully applied for a new licence which gave the venue permission to play recorded, but not live, music.

So once again - non- amplified live music, which would not be a noise concern is being needlesly prevented by legislation which seemingly is so unfocused that it, or those who are paid to enforce it, are unable or unwilling to make the distinction.

This now common approach - for local authority employees to see live music only in terms of any public order concerns that may be associated along with it - is a bit like an approach by the fire services that would ban all the joy and knowleged contained in books, simply because they are combustable and a potential fire risk.

All cultural activities urgently need rescuing from this approach and taken out of the hands of the vandals that we are paying, before it is too late.