After just a few days of operation in Brighton the famous Spiegeltent has been served with a noise abatement notice.

What this effectively means is that music can only be played at very low levels at the Festival Club, potentially altering the enjoyment and the experience enjoyed by patrons of the Spiegeltent in other cities.

For the past nine years the Spiegeltent has been touring the world's greatest festivals under the current ownership. Brighton and Hove City Council is the first council to serve it with a noise abatement notice.

Thousands of Brighton Festival goers have embraced the unique atmosphere at the Spiegeltent in the first week of operation in the Royal Pavilion Gardens.

However, this was not enough to sway the subjective ruling made by environmental health officers which followed complaints by just a few (read one) local residents.

In all other cases where local residents have raised concerns over noise levels in relation to the Spiegeltent local councils have decided to override these concerns rather than serve noise abatement notices.

It has taken three years of negotiations between Spiegeltent owner David Bates and Festival Director Jane McMorrow to ensure that all potential problems were ironed out well in advance. With the council well on side the programme was completed and the tent arrived to great excitement.

But such is the nature of the noise abatement ordinance that the will of the few can affect the enjoyment of the majority.

After being informed of the ruling, patrons at Friday night's Club spontaneously began a petition which was circulated with a heading "Turn up the music - we want to dance".

-Doug Hunter, The Famous Spiegeltent Royal Pavilion Lawns, New Road, Brighton