A BURNLEY pub which police say is blighted by violence will be allowed to stay open after the landlord was sacked.

The Brickmaker's Arms faced losing its licence at Burnley's licensing sub-committee last night after claims made by police.

Officers, in a report to the committee, said landlord Dorian O'Connor, of Gainsborough Avenue, Burnley, was regularly drunk and paid no regard to licensing laws when he ran the Yorkshire Street pub.

Police applied for a review of the licence saying there had been 18 incidents of serious disorder and violent crime there in a year.

Officers also said heroin and ecstasy were readily available, there was underage drinking and reports of fights of up to 30 people, with one man allegedly set on fire by other customers after falling asleep.

But councillors did not strip the Punch Taverns pub of its licence after hearing Mr O'Connor had been sacked.

They instead imposed a number of conditions. Brent Stevenson, solicitor for Punch Taverns, told councillors: "The specific cause of the problems has gone.

"Dorian O'Connor has left and is never coming back.

"We realise that there have been problems so we are content conditions are imposed."

Councillors ordered that when the business, which has been closed for around two months, opens again, the new tenant will only be able to open until midnight, and doormen will be required from 10pm if it opens any later.

On Clarets home match days, all items that could be used as weapons, including pool cues will be removed.

Richard Williams, representing the police, said: "There is no doubt the place has been very badly managed.

"It is hoped that when it reopens those problems will disappear."

Mr O'Connor had denied that there had been any trouble at the Brickmaker's, but was not present at the meeting.

Yesterday it was revealed that the police report had put Mr O'Connor and his wife Jean under investigation from Lancashire County Council as the couple are foster parents to a 17-year-old girl.