YORK'S top nightclub operator has offered to fund efforts to stop a rival opening into the early hours.

Luminar Leisure - which intends keeping its own clubs Toffs and The Gallery open until 4am - confirmed today it had offered financial support to residents appealing against Absolute Leisure's plans to open the Barbican Centre until 2am.

Its stance emerged after Absolute Leisure boss Tony Knox appealed to Luminar directors to "end their delaying tactics in the interests of the people of York".

He told them of "the importance of preventing any delays in the reopening of the Barbican".

But his appeal won short shrift from Luminar, which has offered a financial contribution towards residents' costs at a magistrates' court hearing next month.

It said there was nothing to prevent it offering such support to residents.

Ernie Dickinson, of the Save Our Barbican campaign group, which has co-ordinated opposition to the late licence from local people, said: "We need all the help we can get against an organisation as big as Absolute Leisure."

He said that if residents lost the case, and costs were awarded against them, Luminar had offered to cover those costs.

Almost 100 local residents - worried about late night noise and disruption - are appealing against a City of York Council licensing committee's decision to grant a licence, claiming the authority was biased because it had a vested interest in the centre.

A Luminar spokeswoman said the company had opposed previous applications by Absolute Leisure, when the solicitor it used had also represented local residents.

She said Luminar was neither a party to the current action nor providing guidance to the solicitors or local residents, but added: "We do not deny we have been asked for and have offered some financial help to the group with whom we were previously associated. This has never been concealed."

Luminar has won a 4am licence for Toffs in Toft Green and is seeking a similar one for the Gallery in Clifford Street.

Asked why it was supporting opponents of a late licence elsewhere, it said that during earlier court hearings, it had opposed the licence for commercial reasons.

But at those hearings, it had stood "shoulder to shoulder" with residents opposing it because of concerns about the impact on their lives. And when residents had asked it to make a contribution towards their costs at the appeal, it had felt it was right to agree because it had sympathy with their position.

Director Steve Dennis defended the late licences at Luminar's nightclubs, saying they would not cause additional problems for people nearby. "We have been operating in York for years and years, and have built up a good relationship with neighbours," he said.

Mr Dickinson said he believed there was a big difference between a late licence for the Barbican, situated in a residential area, and ones for city centre clubs.

He said it was not yet known if residents would be legally represented at the appeal hearing. "If they do, the lawyers will be acting for and on behalf of residents who have asked for the appeal."

He said that it was revealing that Absolute Leisure had described Luminar as a "commercial rival", as it had always maintained that the Barbican would not be a nightclub.

Updated: 09:19 Tuesday, August 23, 2005