Leicester cocktail bar's hours could be cut over 'obscene' noise

The opening hours of a city cocktail bar could be cut after neighbours said the noise was causing them distress.

Leicester City Council will decide whether to reduce the opening hours of Sophy, in King Street, at a licensing meeting on Friday.

The council's noise control team has suggested it shuts four hours earlier on Friday and Saturday, and an hour earlier on Sunday night into Monday.

One neighbour said the "obscene" noise was impacting their work and studies.

The current advertised opening hours for the venue on Friday and Saturday state it closes at 05:00, although it is licensed to stay open until 07:00, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

From Sunday to Thursday it is allowed to open until 02:00.

A neighbour said vibrations through the floor were "negatively impacting my physical and mental health", with another saying the noise at night was "intolerable".

"On many occasions, [it was] keeping me awake at night and causing me some considerable distress due to lack of sleep," they said.

"I cannot have the window open in warm weather so I feel like I'm living in a bunker hiding from the noise."

A spokesman for the bar said they felt the review was "unjust" and "unnecessary", and they had already worked with the council's noise team, creating a lobby at the front door to prevent noise spilling into the street and building a noise barrier wall at the rear of the property.

He added: "A bar has been situated at 8-10 King Street since 1997 and all surrounding roads, such as Wellington Street and New Walk make up almost half of Leicester's night life.

"Therefore we think it's fair to assume anyone moving into this area should understand what it entails, rather than putting all the liability on business owners."

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