A tea shop in the heart of a Blackburn shopping district has been given permission to cover its outside decking area.

This is despite a neighbour making a second appeal to councillors over its alleged breach of opening rules.

The Mi Chaii outlet in Whalley Range which opened last year seats 38 diners inside, with a further 21 outside on a specially-built terrace.

Owner Sonia Ahmed and her family-run Divine Patisseries Ltd applied to cover over the decking to extend the main cafe.

Her proposal was deferred by Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning committee in August after Whalley Range neighbour Asif Iqbal attended the meeting to object, accusing the cafe of "a horrific catalogue of violations of its planning conditions".

When the committee met to consider the application again on Wednesday night, Mr Iqbal returned to underline his objections.

Ms Ahmed disputes Mr Iqbal's claims and has previously said: "We always close at 11pm. He is simply wrong."

The cafe's opening hours are set by a condition on the original planning approval as 9am to 11pm..

The decking is supposed to close at 8pm but the approval to enclose it extends its opening hours to match those of the restaurant.

Mr Iqbal told councillors, after circulating them with photographs of alleged breaches of the tea shop's opening hours and the parking problems it allegedly caused: "What has changed? Absolutely nothing. There are the same violations.

"We are baffled. Why are they being given special treatment?

"All we ask as residents is to protect us from these violations.

"We have provided evidence. The business is creating horrific amounts of traffic. There is lots of parking on double yellow lines.

"We don't have a problem with the business provided it obeys the rules."

Principal planning officer Martin Kenny told the meeting that questions of enforcement were not a material consideration for determining the application.

He added that council public protection officers were investigating Mr Iqbal's complaints but that 'a body of evidence' was needed before enforcement action could be taken,.

Borough growth boss Cllr Quesir Mahmood told his colleagues the double yellow lines on Whalley Range had been repainted so council traffic wardens could now seek to enforce the parking restrictions which he promised they would be doing - even up to 10pm with officers working overtime to do so.

Ewood ward's Cllr Jim Casey said: "We are sympathetic to residents. Covering the decking will reduce noise levels and have a positive impact."

Committee chair Cllr Dave Smith agreed and said covering the decking area would 'have a beneficial effect'.

The councillors approved the covering of the decking and extended hours for it after its enclosure was completed.