PUBLICANS today welcomed a council's decision to scrap its policy of insisting that pubs be fitted out with expensive fire-proof wiring if they want to hold karaoke nights.

But Derek Haworth, a landlord ended in court for holding a karaoke night without a licence because he could not afford one, said: "If we hadn't broken the rules, then nothing would have changed."

Blackburn with Darwen Council embarked on a three month consultation over the conditions attached to obtaining a public entertainment licence -- which pubs need if they want to hold events such as discos, band nights and karaoke -- after a storm of protest erupted when several landlords were prosecuted for holding events without a licence.

The publicans -- including Blackburn's Licensed Victualler's Association chairman Derek Haworth, who runs the Fox and Hounds in Ewood -- claimed they could not afford the high cost of refitting their venues with state-of-the-art pyrowiring, a condition the council always insisted on.

Mr Haworth estimates it could cost him up to £34,000.

Following the review by the council, pubs which meet a certain set of criteria will be exempt from the pyrowiring rules, while all others will be visited by council officers before a decision is taken on what conditions to attach to a public entertainment licence.

Pubs which have a capacity of up to 100, only open until 11pm and will only host karaoke or solo and double acts with backing tapes will be exempt from the wiring rule.

The decision brings the council's policy in line with a Home Office circular issued last year.

Mr Haworth said: "For a pub the size of mine, this is very good news. It will solve a lot of problems because the financial implications for rewiring pubs is enormous.

"But the only reason this change has happened is because we were taken to court and a stink was kicked up about it.

"More and more people go into town centre pubs now and the ones like mine, out in the sticks, need to do something different to attract people."

Coun Maureen Bateson, in charge of citizens and consumer affairs at the council, said: "We have listened to what people have had to say and this proposal is the most sensible option.

"There will be a new scale for the licence fees, with the smallest pubs opening until just 11pm paying the least, and the ones opening later paying more and extra as they get bigger."

Town centre venues will also be expected to prove they are training staff in safety. This includes spotting people who have had too much to drink.