LICENSING hours at The Vaults in Malvern have been reduced, following a meeting of the council’s licensing sub-committee yesterday (Thursday).

The hours the pub can serve alcohol have been reduced to between 10am and midnight, with no extra late opening hours for New Year’s Eve or other special days.

Police applied for a review of licensing hours for reasons of public nuisance and the prevention of crime and disorder.

Owner and licensee Karl Crangle was not present at the meeting. He said last month that he planned to sell the premises and felt unfairly blamed for drinking and anti-social behaviour problems in the town.

Sub-committee member Mike Morgan said that the committee felt the shorter opening hours would give some measure of protection to local residents should any future owner of the building want to run it as a pub.