Outside drinking at a south Richmond pub has been curbed after residents complained of light and noise pollution that caused them to only get four hours sleep a night.

South Richmond resident Jo Finzi’s successful application to Richmond Council to have the Watermans Arms’ licence changed resulted in outside drinking limited to 10.30pm – with manager Tamas Nyemecz instructed to chain benches so customers cannot sit on them.

Previously outside drinking was permitted until last orders at 11.20pm.

In addition, outside lights must be switched off at 10.30pm and all lights will permanently point downwards.

Mrs Finzi had attempted to get the council to prohibit outside drinking to no later than 9pm and live music to no later than 11pm.

Mr Nyemecz holds a popular live acoustic folk music evening every Monday night, featuring musicians from Richmond, Twickenham and East Sheen.

On Thursday evening the sub-committee, made up of councillors Rita Palmer, Jonathan Cardy and Petra Sale – and licensing officers – decided not to change the pub’s opening hours, saying the problem was not noise coming from inside.

Mrs Finzi told the sub-committee: “I have lived in my flat since 1991. People have said to me it’s my fault for living near to a pub.

“But the government has changed the law since.

“The quality of our lives has been affected. It’s the disturbance.”

Mrs Finzi and neighbour Mary Anne Dickson also complained rubbish collection early in the morning meant that between revellers leaving the pub and bin men arriving, they only got ‘four or five’ hours’ sleep each night.

Mr Nyemecz said the decision by the sub-committee was ‘very, very disappointing’, and he also admitted he did not know how much money the pub stood to lose.

He said: “I was very nervous – I was sitting in that meeting and I was hoping they would not do that.

“This is a friendly pub – if I ask people not to be noisy outside they do it.

“Our live music all feature local musicians; people from Richmond Twickenham and East Sheen – we support local people.”