A HOLCOMBE Brook businessman was left feeling bitter on Good Friday after closing his shop an hour early - at the request of the police.

The owner of Holcombe Brook News and off-licence Mr Peter Harrison complied with the 2pm closure, as did the landlord of the Shoulder of Mutton.

It was part of a police plan to ensure the annual Good Friday celebrations on Holcombe Hill passed-off without trouble.

But the Hare and Hounds pub in the centre of Holcombe Brook was allowed to continue serving for an extra hour, a decision approved by the Ramsbottom Township police officers. Mr Harrison protested to the police about the pub's "extra hour."

However, Mr Joe Bleacher, who was told prior to Good Friday that an hour long extension was permissible if his customers were well behaved, hit back. "The off-licence was quite happy to sell cans to people who then came to the pub car park to drink them," he said. "It was my staff who had to clean up the cans along with other litter and the off-licence owner doesn't seem bothered at that."

PC Steve Orr said the opening time restrictions were requested as a precaution. "There was no real behavioural problems at the Hare and Hounds and the landlord asked us if he could continue for another hour. That was not a problem," he said.

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