By Teri Jones

A CHARITY bingo session had to be scrubbed after a licensing clampdown.

Disappointed regulars had their tickets returned to them hours before they were due to try for a full house as part of Atherton Festival week fun at the Coffee Pot cafe in Bolton Road, Atherton.

Elizabeth Eckersley, who owns the town centre cafe, has been hosting a charity bingo night in conjunction with the Festival for the last six years, but this year was told on the day of the event that she could not hold it without a licence.

She said: "Someone from the council rang asking if I had a licence, saying they had had a complaint. It's the first I've ever heard about having to have one. When I asked if I could get one in time I was told it wasn't that simple and that if I went ahead the police could be called."

She was told that at 11am last Wednesday just hours ahead of the scheduled start time and spent the rest of the day explaining to the 25 pensioners, who had paid £2.50 each for tickets, that bingo was off.

A council spokesman said: "We received a complaint that bingo was going to take place at the Coffee Pot, when we looked into it we found there was no licence. We told the lady involved she could get her own legal advice, but that it may not be legal to continue. We certainly did not say it definitely could not go ahead.

"I would always recommend people look into the legal implications if they plan to hold such events."