A PUB landlady stripped of her licence after a fight at her premises has been fined for serving drinks after hours.

Nicola King, 33, of Jubilee Close, Darwen, was tenant and manager of the White Bull Inn, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, when police found more than 25 people still drinking there at 2.55am on September 27 last year.

She pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court to that charge, and was also convicted in her absence of serving eight late-night drinkers, found when police returned at 2.25am on October 4.

She was fined £285 and ordered to pay £315 costs.

King was stripped of her licence by Blackburn with Darwen Council earlier this month, after police slapped a closure order on the premises.

Pat Bramley, prosecuting, said King was licensee at the pub at the time of the incidents. She was only licensed between 10am and 1am.

Richard Prew, defending, said there was history between King and the police who attended her premises.

He said they also raided the pub on her last night and both she and her partner were hospitalised.

“He faces criminal charges as a result of that incident,” said Mr Prew. He said on the first occasion there was a birthday party going on but on the second King said she hadn’t served anyone after 2 am.

An incident on April 26 this year at the White Bill prompted Thwaites bosses to replace King as the landlady.

The White Bull, owned by the Thwaites brewery, is now run by a new tenant, who police say has fully co-operated with them.