ANGRY residents who live next to a Furness nightclub claim they are enduring sleepless nights as noisy clubbers spill out on to the streets.

Neighbours who are opposing an appeal by Ulverston nightclub Buffers told Furness Magistrates they often endured shouting, swearing, urinating, defecating and even people having sex outside their home.

Around 20 residents attended the Station Approach nightclub's appeal against three licensing conditions made by the South Lakeland District Council Licensing committee in July.

The conditions which have not yet been enforced due to the appeal state the club must have clients inside by 11.45pm as opposed to 1am; they should set up a community warden scheme to patrol nearby streets between 11pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday to disperse crowds; and establish a forum made up of club managers and local residents.

A local mother, who asked for her name and address to be withheld for fear of reprisals, told the court she had found couples having sex outside her house on several occasions.

"On one occasion, I came out of my door and I had to stop one of my children picking up and putting a used condom in their mouth," she said.

The woman, who was called to give evidence by SLDC solicitor Sandra Fenwick, told the court she had even seen a man defecating on the drive opposite her house.

"Every Friday and Saturday night, without exception, we experience shouting, swearing, screaming and fighting," she said. "Often my children are woken up and are extremely distressed."

Another resident, Harold Dearden, who lives on Springfield Road, said: "We suffer horrendous noise pollution. We've had to put up with acts of vandalism, urinating, defecators and damage to cars and property."

PC Richard Vernon told the committee there had been 27 incidents relating to the club since April this year.

"I have concerns and some sympathy with local residents who do get disturbed from time to time with people going to the premises," he said.

"But in terms of crime related to a nightclub of this type, the levels are quite low."

He added if clubbers were refused access to Buffers at 11.45pm it could lead to "a lot of disorder" in the surrounding area.

Brendan Jameson, chairman of South Lakeland District Council's licensing committee, said the committee disagreed with the police assessment of the situation.

"The reason we are imposing more severe conditions on the club is we are attempting to solve the problem of affected residents because of the noise," he said. "Also the fact we feel the management could do more to alleviate these problems."

Licensee of Buffers, Martin Merckel, who was represented by John Siddle, said he believed he had been working to improve the situation.

He said measures included working "successfully" with police, a forum for concerned residents, asking taxi drivers to pick clubbers straight up from Buffers and door staff trying to keep clients at the club until a taxi arrived.

"In my view, we have improved the situation," he said. "But it is not a fair condition to expect people to be at the club by 11.45pm. People already aren't turning up because they think that's when we close."

l The hearing was adjourned and will continue on October 18.