A MAN has withdrawn has bid to takeover a Nelson club after police objected to his proposal.

Police said Stephen Twist, the former landlord of the Prince of Wales pub in Leeds Road, should not be allowed to run The Irish League Club, Walton Street, because he has previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer.

Mr Twist, 47, of Smith Street, Nelson, had branded the police's objections "ridiculous".

The application was due to be decided on by the licensing committee at a meeting today.

But Mr Twist withdrew the bid before the meeting could take place.

Mr Twist said his takeover would have created eight jobs.

Mr Twist said: "My opinion is that it is all red tape bureaucracy.

"I admit that I might have been a naughty boy in the past but I have paid my fine and done my sentence.

"It's like I have been found guilty all over again.

"It has not put me off applying for other ventures and I will try to find another way around getting the licence."

In a letter to the committee, Police Committee Mark Driver had said: "At 2.55am on Sunday August 6, 2006, an incident occurred outside the Prince of Wales public house which resulted in Mr Twist being arrested for assaulting a police constable.

"At the time of the offence he was extremely drunk and gave false details upon arrest."

On another occasion Mr Twist received a fixed penalty notice for being drunk and disorderly, the letter said.