TESCO has been refused a licence to sell alcohol until midnight each day and 24 hours a day throughout December at the Tesco Express store in Ridgway Road. The application, which prompted a flood of objections from local residents, caused a dilemma for members of Waverley council's licensing sub-committee on Monday. For although Tesco was seeking to extend its licensing hours under the new legislation, the shop's opening hours are restricted to 6 am to 10 pm by planning conditions. Ceri John, representing Tesco, said that at the moment there are no plans to seek an extension to the shop's opening hours. "Really the reason for this is for flexibility," she said. But residents, who put a catalogue of complaints before the sub-committee about the disturbance caused by parking, delivery lorries and people congregating at the store in the evenings, feared proposals to extend the shop's opening hours would soon follow. The council's legal representative, Paul Gray, commented: "This seems a little bit absurd, the opening hours and the supply of alcohol should be in line." And sub-committee chairman Jacquie Keen agreed. "We can't really grant you sale of alcohol if the shop's not open. We are a bit mystified," she observed. The council received 15 letters objecting to the application and three residents addressed the sub-committee about their concerns. One explained that some years ago, when the premises were occupied by One Stop, it was open until 11 pm and was a magnet for trouble, with the police frequently being called out at night. "Alcohol attracts trouble, that is a fact, and Farnham has got a lot of trouble with drinking. They are going to come out of the pub at 11- 30 and go into the shop and buy more alcohol." Tesco was accused of failing to take any action over constant illegal parking on the double yellow lines by the shop. And the sub- committee was told that some residents were keeping a log of the arrival of Tesco's massive delivery lorries, often at 6 am or 10 pm. But Miss John stressed that there had been no objection by the police to the application. And although she said she sympathised with residents concerning traffic and congestion, this was "a separate issue, not relevant". The sub-committee decided to grant a licence in line with the status quo, which is to allow alcohol sales until 11 pm (10-30 pm on Sundays), though the shop must currently close at 10 pm. And taking on board residents' complaints, they imposed conditions that CCTV must be installed outside the shop and that there may be no deliveries before 7 am or after 9 pm.