The following was published in the Dorset Echo 25 August 2005.
letters@dorsetecho.co.uk

Council has saved us from late night darts.

Protection from noisy darts at last!

I am sure the conditions placed upon the Licensing application reported in The Dorset Echo on Friday August 19 will be of great comfort to the two Portland residents whose objections and concerns about noisy late night exits from the pub concerned were detailed.

They will welcome the news that Weymouth and Portland's licensing committee has ensured in these conditions that these objectors will be saved from the serious dangers emanating from any form of indoor sports like darts or pool which will now have to finish at 11pm.

Perhaps being disturbed by late cries of 'One Hundred and Eighty' emanating from the pub will be a concern no longer?

I sure that they will also be pleased that these conditions ensure that any live music will cease at 11pm and that the committee has also ensured that it will only be recorded music that will be disturbing them up to 12pm.

For we all know recorded music to be a far less harmful form of music-making.

Despite the objections - the application for the extra drinking hours were granted as requested which should not come as a surprise as it was reported that there were no objections from the police, environmental health offices or Dorset Fire and Rescue Services.

These bodies did not object to the application as it stood. So it will be interesting to hear from our licensing committee on which of the four main objectives of the Licensing Act 2003 prompted them to set the conditions upon the difference between live and recorded music and when darts games must finish.

The Statutory Guidance to the new Licensing Act 2003 states that darts /pool etc may be classed as indoor sports and therefore Regulated Entertainment - but not (even when provided for profit) if they were for the private enjoyment of the participants and not for the entertainment of spectators.

As the reference in the Echo's report is to darts as 'indoor sports' - does this mean that our licensing committee will now consider all darts/pool in the borough to be Regulated Entertainment and illegal in any pub without specific permission under a Premises Licence? If so does it state this in the Local Licensing Policy?