UNDERCOVER police bought a drink in a Blackburn nightclub 20 minutes after last orders.

But the owner of Jazzy Kex, Stephen Danov, told the town's magistrates it had been a one-off incident as his wife, who supervised the bar, was ill.

And he questioned the tactics used by police that resulted in his first conviction in 10 years as licensee of the Regent Street nightspot.

He said: "Police made the point to me that people were still coming into the club after 2am. That is allowed under the terms of my entertainment licence, which runs until 3am. I have now stopped admission after 2 am."

Danov told the court his wife normally ran the bar but had been off sick the night of the checks.

"I accept staff served drink after 2 am," he told the court and, speaking after the hearing, he added that he knew places in Blackburn where he could get a drink at 5am.

"The police know this because I told them but nothing seems to have been done," he said.

Danov, 46, of Knowsley Road West, Wilpshire, pleaded guilty to serving liquor outside permitted hours. He was fined £250 and ordered to pay £50 costs.

District judge Paul Firth said he accepted Danov had held the licence for 10 years with "no problems whatsoever."