Residents are celebrating after a pub's planned extra hours were rejected by a licensing panel.

Stephen Hill, a spokesman for people living near the Boathouse, at the Old Bridge, in High Street, Wallingford, said: "That's great for starters."

Thames Valley Police was also criticised by panel chairman Mike Welply, after no-one from the police turned up for the hearing.

However, they did send a letter saying there were no problems at the pub and that they had no objections to the proposed extension.

Mr Welply said: "I'm irked that the police have not sent a representative. I'm extremely disappointed that the police have neither the time, grace nor good manners to attend this hearing."

More than 30 residents living near the town council-owned pub attended South Oxfordshire District Council offices at Crowmarsh for the hearing. They listed a series of complaints about behaviour from young people using the riverside pub, including: Girls being seen 'mooning' at passing motorists Sex acts committed in a neighbouring alleyway Rowdy and abusive behaviour Intimidation by crowds of youths Brawling in the street Urinating and vomiting in doorways Broken glass littering nearby streets General antisocial behaviour.

Ronald Hewstone, from Crowmarsh Gifford, said people urinated in his garden and left broken glasses and litter there after leaving the pub.

He said: "Because of the behaviour of these youths, my wife and I have given up going to the theatre in the Corn Exchange or concerts in St Peter's, because getting back over Wallingford Bridge is extremely unpleasant."

Barrister Andrew Muir, representing the Boathouse, said there was no evidence that the drinkers necessarily came from the Boathouse.

He said that over the past four years, there had been only two complaints about the pub.

Operations manager Ian Coote said the pub wanted to work with the residents and had no wish to be a bad neighbour. He said anyone identified being involved in antisocial behaviour would be banned.

The panel decided that there would be no variation of the pub's existing licence.

It also demanded a series of further measures, including a sound barrier, security cameras, air conditioning so that doors and windows could be kept closed, windows and doors alarmed so they could be closed if opened, and action to cut the noise from an extractor fan.

The pub currently opens from 10am to 11.45pm.

The application was to open until midnight from Sundays to Thursdays, and 1am on Fridays, Saturdays and Bank Holiday Sundays.