Loud music row forces Wolverhampton pub bosses to turn speakers off

Pub bosses have been forced to turn off their speakers following a row about loud music with boaters moored at a nearby canal.

Narrowboaters who had stopped at Bentley Bridge in Wednesfield were furious when staff from The Nickelodeon Pub left music playing through-out the night, preventing them from sleep.

Councillor for Wednesfield North Phil Bateman said he had received numerous complaints from angry boaters who were staying on the Wyrley & Essington Canal. Wolverhampton City Council has also got involved.

Spirit Pub Company, that owns The Nickelodeon, said that its automatic shutdown system had failed leading to music being played all night. Councillor Bateman said: "I have worked hard through-out the year with my fellow Labour councillors in Wednesfield, to get Bentley Bridge canal arm recognised as a place to moor and stay and to trade.

"The one dark cloud on the project, however, has been the fact The Nickelodeon pub has left their music running all through the night. This has had the effect of keeping the boaters awake way into the early hours.

"I have reported the incidents to Wolverhampton City Council's environmental chiefs."

Councillor Bateman, who has been in talks about introducing a canalside festival through Wednesfield, said he was aware of at least two occasions between July and August where narrowboaters were kept awake by music from the pub. However, Spirit Pub Company said it had one confirmed incident.

Spokesman Scott Frankham said: "We can confirm that on one occasion our sound system's automatic shutdown failed, which resulted in the music continuing play later than planned.

"The following day we apologised to all those affected by the noise and agreed to permanently turn off our external speakers to ensure they do not disturb the guests staying on the canal."

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Wolverhampton City Council said it visited the pub on August 22 and spoke to the general manager. Duty managers living above the pub would be monitoring noise levels outside.

The Wyrley & Essington Canal was built in the 1790s from Wolverhampton to the collieries at Wyrley Bank and Essington. The canal company later secured permission to extend the line to Brownhills and then descend through 30 locks to Huddlesford on the Coventry Canal, plus the Daw End Branch to the Hay Head Limeworks and a short branch to Lord Hay's quarries.

Major traffic on the Wyrley & Essington was coal from the Cannock pits. Boats were gauged for toll purposes at a number of narrows formed by islands in the canal, several of which had characteristic octagonal toll offices. The Bentley Canal linked the Wyrley & Essington with the Walsall Canal via the Anson Branch.