A NIGHTCLUB boss has been refused a new public entertainment licence after he failed to convince councillors he was tackling noise problems.

Scott Moon, who runs Cubes nightclub in Duke Street, Blackburn, was today staying tightlipped about his future after hearing of the decision, made by the licensing committee of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Members of the committee were told that, despite two warnings from the council to sort out the problem, the situation for residents on nearby Simmons Street and New Park Street was as bad as ever.

Currently, the club is licensed to open from 7pm-1am Wednesday and Thursday, 7pm-2am Friday and Saturday and 7pm-midnight on Sundays.

Mr Moon wanted permission to open from 11am to 1am, Monday to Thursday, 11am-2am Friday and Saturday, and noon to 12.30am on Sundays, extending to 2am on the Sunday before a Bank Holiday.

Cubes opened in 1998 and is one of a number of venues Mr Moon, who claims to have brought cafe society to Blackburn, has been involved with.

He first appeared before the committee in the summer, when he asked for his public entertainment licence to be renewed and the hours extended.

Then councillors deferred the application for three months for investigations on the scale of the noise problem. Last month, it was deferred again for Mr Moon to draw up plans on how to combat the noise.

Part of the latest meeting was held behind closed doors, but councillors did express disappointment that no action plan had been drawn up.

Mr Moon told the committee he had misunderstood their demands and in the last four weeks had installed two noise regulatorsand rubber matting to keep noise in the building.

But residents said the noise from Mr Moon's club was worse than ever last Saturday, supposedly the first night all the new equipment was in place.

Mr Moon claimed he had spoken to residents on Friday about the level of the music and that they had been happy with it. But environmental health officers said it still breached their regulations.

Mr Moon, of Hargreaves Road, Oswaldtwistle, told the committee: "It has never been my intention to cause any nuisance for residents. The council granted me planning permission to use the building as a club, even though it is not the most suitable building.

"If I had to close earlier, I would go out of business. I am doing everything I can. I have lowered the volume but it is costing me customers."

Residents claimed their lives were being ruined by the noise.

New Park Street resident Alison Hosker, said: "We have been promised improvements time and time again . It always goes back to being the same. "In the summer we can't open the windows for the noise. We just can't sleep."

Mr Moon has 21 days to file an appeal. He said he had no comment to make today.

He has recently submitted a planning application to build a new, purpose-built club on the site of Cubes. If his appeal is unsuccessful, he will still be allowed to serve drinks and play background music, but no dancing or DJs will be allowed.