A publican was astounded at being landed with a £20,000 fine for holding late-night parties.

Peter Kelland, of the Ferryman Inn at Bablockhythe, said he would appeal against the sentence from Witney magistrates.

"It's stupid. The fine is way over the top. I don't know how I can pay it, anyway," he said.

Kelland pleaded not guilty to eight charges brought by West Oxfordshire District Council for breaking the terms of his public entertainments licence.

He was found guilty on six charges and ordered to pay a £20,000 fine, plus £2,600 legal costs. He was found not guilty of two charges of transferring the licence without authority. The council claimed he allowed parties at The Ferryman, a riverside pub next to the Thames near Stanton Harcourt, to go on for several hours longer than the licence allowed. The limit is 1am on Fridays, midnight on Saturdays and 10pm on Sundays.

The pub hosts regular parties for the Oxford-based Tongue In Cheek club.

Kelland said: "Sometimes we get up to 800 people here. The council has known what we are doing and hasn't made a fuss about it before. "I think the council is living in the past. Young people these days don't expect to stop partying at midnight."

Paul Lankester, the council's director of environmental services, said it was essential that public entertainments were properly controlled to ensure safety at the events and prevent disturbance to local residents.

Story date: Monday 29 November

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