A COCKTAIL bar in East Lancashire – which faced a battle with neighbours over 2am closing – has poured its last mojito.

Administrators have been called in at The Lounge, in Barrowford, which has been running for just over two-and-a-half years.

And while directors Gareth Bradshaw and Jade Pilling say there may have been hiccups along the way, they have thanked regulars for their support.

Earlier this year the bar lost a bid to open until 2am on Saturdays, and1am on Fridays, after people living nearby raised noise concerns.

Mr Bradshaw and bar manager argued that they needed the extra trading time to compete against late-night attractions in Burnley and Colne, and bring in more revenue.

In a statement, the directors said they had taken the decision to close The Lounge “with a heavy heart”.

They added: “But we would like to use this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your custom over the past two-and-a-half years, we have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have spent with you and we are very thankful for the memories we have made along the way, and the memories we have helped you to create, whether they be Christenings, baby showers, birthday parties, your Fridays and Saturdays spent with good friends, or simply your daily coffee.

“We would also like to use this opportunity to take ownership for the mistakes we have made along the way and apologise for the times your experiences with us haven’t met the high expectations we had hoped and worked for.

“As many of you know, The Lounge has had many ups and downs from which we have learnt valuable lessons and tried tirelessly to improve from both a business and personal perspective.

“This has been an incredibly difficult decision for us to make as we love The Lounge dearly and have put our blood, sweat and tears into trying to make it work.”

Part of their licensing fight saw the pair trying to convince councillors that 20 employees, who all lived locally in Barrowford, relied on The Lounge for their livelihoods.

But environmental health officials confirmed that noise nuisance complaints, after monitoring, were found to be justified.

One neighbour said the venue was so loud that she could not hear her TV.