A LIVE music venue in Kendal can open for longer as the management bids to attract more bands to the town.

Bootleggers Music Bar in Finkle Street was granted an extension to its permitted opening hours by councillors on Tuesday.

The re-adjustment of its public entertainment licence means the venue can now open from 9am to 1am between Monday and Sunday, and between 9am on Sunday until 12.30am on Monday.

The arrangement, which will be monitored again within six months, was granted providing owner Jonty Martindale abides by a list of seven conditions agreed between the police and South Lakeland District Council. The conditions include site security, and a drugs and an entry policy.

Previously, the venue was open between 9am and 11pm from Sunday to Saturday.

Insp Richard Vernon, of Kendal Police, told the committee that he believed a £1 door charge should be in place for anyone entering past 11pm through the week, or beyond 10.30pm on Sundays, to stop people wandering from venue to venue.

Nick Renshaw, for Mr Martindale, told the committee that there was a reluctance to charge as it was intended to run Bootleggers as a live music venue, rather than a club.

He said Mr Martindale had an interest in live music but the difficulty had been in attracting the "best bands" when he closed so early.

"It would be more practical and economical to put a better standard of group on," said Mr Renshaw.

The committee was told that the £10,000 sound system was set so that the volume could not be adjusted beyond a certain level by musicians.

In a report before members, it was stated that the council's environmental protection manager had not receive any complaints about noise nuisance.