Two pubs have been granted late night drinking and music licences despite concerns from neighbours about noise and disturbance.

Staff at The Sir Charles Napier in Southover Street, Brighton, and the Cuthbert Hotel in Freshfield Road, Brighton, will now be able to serve alcohol until midnight Sunday to Thursday.

The Sir Charles Napier will stay open until 2am at weekends while the Cuthbert Hotel was granted a 1am licence for Friday and Saturday nights.

Previously they had to close at 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30pm Sunday but applied to extend their hours under new licensing laws.

Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing committee also granted permission for live music at both venues.

Brewery George Gale, which owns the Charles Napier, agreed all external lights would be turned off at 11pm and doors and windows would be shut if live music was being played after that time.

Neighbours had been concerned about the effect of extending opening hours on the area.

Southampton Street resident Susan Bowes told the committee: "The later opening hours would constitute a significant noise nuisance to people living nearby."

Claudia Weiss and Dick Page, of nearby Southover street, wrote: "Extending the hours to this extent and allowing all descriptions of amplified recorded music and the noise generated by having a late night drinking venue in an area where the vast majority are trying to sleep is not, in our view, acceptable."

John Scott and Lynne Nicholls, of Islingwood Street, wrote: "Experience in the area of late night opening for special events has shown there is increased late night disturbance."

The Queen's Park branch Labour Party objected to the proposals at the Cuthbert Hotel.

Teri Knight, who runs the Cuthbert Hotel with partner Chris Williams, said: "We have always had a very good relationship with our neighbours and have never had any reports of trouble. The concerns are not substantiated by any evidence."

David Butcher, head of property for George Gale, said: "We do not feel there will be any adverse impact on the area. The later hours mean we will be able to disperse people more evenly rather than having everyone spill out of the pub at the same time at 11.20pm."