An Anstruther hotel has been granted permission to extend its opening hours, despite police concerns.
Members of Fife’s licensing board also agreed to allow the Royal Hotel, on Rodger Street, to increase capacity to 95 customers as part of an effort to encourage party bookings.
The change means the hotel, which currently closes at midnight, has the option of staying open to 1am on busier nights.
The move was granted against the wishes of police, following what they claim has been a large number of complaints by residents over noise caused by revellers in the town.
The hotel’s owner, David Innes, told board members it would be unfair to rule against his application due to drinkers at other venues.
“We’re not the busiest pub in town and we’re not producing the most noise,” he said. “We want to host functions and meetings and are looking to be a hub in the town again.”
But Dougie Saunders, Police Scotland’s head of licensing for Fife, said the force would rather see the application postponed while it investigates nuisance behaviour at pubs.
“We would be doing the people of Anstruther an injustice if we allow additional premises to have later hours,” he said.
“All we are asking for is that the status quo is preserved.”
The application was granted by six votes to two.