Councillors decided to ban the attraction following complaints from neighbours, including Mrs Joanne Parkinson, landlady at the Red Lion.

They claimed obstructions during last year's festival had blocked access into town. And Mrs Parkinson told Pendle Council's Colne and District Committee "drunken teenagers" had intimated her customers, who were also put off visiting the pub as they had nowhere to park.

Pendle Leisure Trust, which organises the August Bank Holiday event, had wanted to come to a mutual agreement with the council, which would have seen residents supplied with a contact number to report concerns. But this proposal was dismissed when Mrs Parkinson spoke at the committee's meeting and listed her issues with the fairground.

She added: "I can't understand why the fairground is held there - all the Blues entertainment is down the other end of town. And what's a fairground got to do with Blues music? If it's for children, could it not go on a park?"

Coun. Ann Kerrigan apologised for previously supporting the fair and said she hadn't realised it had been a nuisance to the licensee. "If the Trust want to have things at the top end of town, there are other ways to do it. This is not necessarily the right way," she said.

It was suggested a small acoustic, non-amplified gig would be more fitting with the Blues programme for next year, and permission for a fairground on the Red Lion car park was refused.