POLICE have objected to plans application by Friday Bridge International Farm Camp to open its bar and play music until 4am at weekends.

The camp wants to serve alcohol, play recorded or live music and have dancing until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays, but police complained about drunken events at the site.

A police report submitted to Fenland District Council’s licensing committee says talks have resulted in the proposed bar closing time to be pulled back to 1.30pm.

Nevertheless, the 4am application from WMS Recruitment Ltd is still going before the committee on Monday when objections from police and residents will be considered.

Opposing the 4am application, the police report said: “This premises licence variation relates to a farm camp where a large number of Eastern European workers live, who have come to the UK for employment.

“Over the last 12 months there have been a number of incidents at the location where fights have taken place and the police and ambulance service have had to attend the location.”

The report tells of a drunken resident being assaulted at the camp on June 23, and other incidents including a resident being attacked by another resident with a knife, and two drunken residents claiming to have been assaulted.

The camp currently has permission to open its bar until 11pm from Monday to Saturday and 10.30pm on Sundays. Police are recommending for the bar to be closed on Friday and Saturday nights at 1.30pm, and for CCTV cameras to be installed in the bar area and where functions take place. Officers want an incident and refusal book to be maintained, and for the age verification policy ‘Challenge 25’ to be in place.

One resident opposing the 4am bar opening said it was “simply unnecessary,” while another listed a number of incidents of anti-social and drunken behaviour from the site, saying “I find it unacceptable to have my private life disturbed by groups of drunken people at all times of the day and night.”

Another objector says the 4am application is “excessive, bearing in mind this is a farm workers’ labour camp and drinking until 4am does not constitute responsibility with regard to farm machinery.” and says the bar should close at 11pm.