NEIGHBOURS and police are fighting to block plans for an East End pub to play music into the early hours of the morning for more than 350 party-goers. Landlords at the 24-hour licensed The Castle in Commercial Road, Whitechapel have applied to Town Hall

NEIGHBOURS and police are fighting to block plans for an East End pub to play music into the early hours of the morning for more than 350 party-goers.

Landlords at the 24-hour licensed The Castle in Commercial Road, Whitechapel have applied to Town Hall chiefs for permission to play live music, host DJs and allow dancing to go on from noon-6am every day.

Brian Coughlan and Rosemary Anne Ennis also want to use their first floor and basement for drinking and dancing so more than 350 punters can squeeze into the pub and they are hoping to get the go-ahead to play films until 11pm.

But residents living nearby, who say they are already kept awake by noise coming from the boozer, have objected to the application which is due to be considered by Tower Hamlets council Licensing Sub Committee on Thursday.

They claim the drunken party-goers will bring more anti-social behaviour to the area.

Neighbour Tandeep Minhas said: "This will effectively grant the club an all night licence to play loud music and encourage noise, alcohol consumption and anti-social behaviour at a time when residents are trying to sleep.

"The local police seem to have enough difficulty as it is dealing with the never-ending noise and drunken, drug fuelled anti-social behaviour that plays out in Altab Ali park every weekend."

The Met Police has also objected to the application and in a letter to the Town Hall, PC Alan Cruickshank said there had been ongoing problems with theft in the pub and he had received complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour in the area.

But the landlords insist that there will be more CCTV cameras fitted in the pub and there will be a "zero tolerance policy" towards drugs, weapons and disorderly contact and a noise limiter would be installed to prevent "excessive amplified noise".

The application will be discussed on Thursday at the Town Hall in Mulberry Place from 6.30pm.