By Caroline Lewis and Trevor Bevins

A petition calling for earlier closing times at pubs and bars in Dorchester would "cripple" the town's venues, business owners have said.

Around 200 town centre residents have signed a petition asking for pub and bar licences in Dorchester to be restricted to 11pm.

Most of the signatures are said to come from residents from the roads adjacent to High West and High East streets who say their sleep is being disturbed by late night noise, with some suffering vandal attacks on their properties and businesses.

The petition calls for: “pub and bar licensing hours in Dorchester restricted to a closing time of 11pm to allow for an appropriate balance between the night-time economy and residents rights to sleep and be safe outside our homes and for business premises to be safe from vandalism and other crime."

It adds the reduction in hours would bring the town centre in line with closing times in force at Brewery Square and Poundbury.

However, business owners say restrictions would cripple Dorchester's venues.

Chris, who runs The Old Ship Inn and Café Jagos said late licenses were "essential" to the town's nighttime economy and businesses would struggle without them.

"It would cripple all the venues in Dorchester and all the local pubs because people would go to Weymouth. Dorchester is an up and coming town and we attract people from the surrounding villages. The venues in Dorchester cater for everyone," he said.

He added license checks had been done in the town recently and all the venues had "passed with flying colours."

Chairman of Dorchester BID Neil Strudwick said an 11pm cut off would be damaging to the establishments that stayed open later and such action was not needed.

"Of course it would affect those businesses," Mr Strudwick said. "Those pubs and clubs need those few extra hours. Those extra pints sold in that time could be the margin of profitability for the week - it's their economy and they should be able to stay open."

Mr Strudwick added that although people were worried about anti-social behaviour, it was a rare occurrence in Dorchester which maintained a 'relaxed and easy-going' atmosphere.

"You will get bits and pieces but it's not going to be something that needs policing on a large scale. These are isolated cases of anti-social behaviour and I don't think it warrants smashing whole businesses with a sledgehammer," he said.

Councillor Molly Rennie said: "The licensing laws are the laws of the land and you can't just decide to regulate them once they've been given. If people want to change any of the licence condition on any property they have to have a legal reason. There is no proof at the moment that any of the town centre pubs are to blame for anti-social behaviour or serving people who are drunk and disorderly."

She added venues were complying with the terms of their licences and Dorchester had to be able to offer something for everybody.

"A lot of younger people go out in the town centre and it's for the better that they are able to do that in their own town. We don't want a ghost town after 11pm - we want to live in a busy vibrant community where people are out and about. It would change the whole feeling of Dorchester."

Plea ‘unlikely to be successful’, councillors will be told

In a report to the town council planning committee on January 7 the town clerk, Adrian Stuart, says the petition has come about after a steady increase in the number of town centre premises seeking late night licences, while at the same time there has been a growth in the number of homes in the town centre.

But his report warns that residents are unlikely to be successful with their plea because licensing is governed by national guidelines and there are no powers for a blanket closure restriction. He also adds that there is insufficient evidence that individual town centre licensees are failing to meet the conditions of their licences.

Mr Stuart is recommending that town councillors support West Dorset District Council and the police in writing to all licensees reminding them of the conditions of their licences and to remind tell them that some residents are unhappy with the current situation.

Councillor Andy Canning, said although Dorchester's nighttime economy was important it was necessary to balance what was good for the economy and what is good for residents.

"I'm not sure at this moment that that balance is correct and I think it needs to be investigated," Mr Canning said.

He added residents had reported a rise in anti-social behaviour - with several serious incidents recently.

However, Mr Canning said the proposal to cut off licences at 11pm was 'arbitrary' as the council did not have the power to do that.

He said the council needed to ensure licensees were following the law and councillors, licensees and the police force needed to work collaboratively to enforce the existing laws properly.