RESIDENTS across York have been enraged over proposals by pubs to stay open into the early hours, fearing they will suffer late-night noise and disruption.

But not people living near businesses owned by Samuel Smith's Brewery.

For the Tadcaster-based brewery has decided - so far at least - to stick with calling time at the traditional hour of 11pm.

Not one of the firm's outlets has applied to City of York Council for extensions to their opening hours, unlike dozens of other pubs in York.

They have simply applied for "grandfathers' rights, enabling existing hours and conditions to continue, although they would be entitled at a later date to apply to open later, said a council spokesman.

The pubs involved include the famous riverside Kings Arms on Kings Staith, the Hansom Cab in Market Street, the Crystal Palace in Holgate Road, the Blacksmiths Arms at Skelton, the Wellington in Alma Terrace and the Brigadier Gerrard in Monkgate.

A reliable source told the Evening Press that some landlords were concerned they could miss out on lucrative late-night trade because they could not open later.

"I know two landlords and they are both very unhappy," he said. "But they have to do what they are told."

But when the Evening Press contacted licensees at a number of Sam Smith's pubs, all declined to comment, referring the paper to the brewery.

However, when the paper asked the brewery whether it was correct that its entire estate across the country - estimated by the Good Beer Guide at about 200 pubs - was sticking with traditional opening hours and if so why, a spokesman also declined to make any comment whatsoever.

Samuel Smith's was embroiled in controversy last autumn after it banned recorded and live music, and also TVs, from its pubs.

Folk enthusiasts blasted the company for ending traditional folk singing evenings, and some landlords were known to be concerned they would lose trade.

Brewery chairman Humphrey Smith later admitted the ban had caused a lot of customer unhappiness, with many objecting to the loss of TVs, particularly racing on Channel 4, to the loss of jukeboxes and/or muzac.

Updated: 11:19 Thursday, August 18, 2005