A PHARMACIST has failed in his second bid to extend his shop’s opening hours and now faces visits from council officials to ensure he plays by the rules.

Councillors in Blackburn rejected a plea from Riaz Hinglotwala to allow him to open his Shear Brow shop for 100 hours a week, including late nights and Sundays, because of the noise and disturbance it would cause neighbours.

They were told he had been opening for the longer hours without permission for the past year.

Councillors were promised borough enforcement officers would visit Riaz Pharmacy on Randal Street to ensure the shop closed at 8pm on Mondays to Saturdays and did not open on the Sabbath.

Mr Hinglotwala had wanted permission to open until 11pm on weekdays and from 11am to 9pm on Sundays.

Tory spokesman Alan Cottam led the calls for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s planning committee to overturn the officers’ recommendation to approve the extra hours.

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A similar request from Mr Hinglotwala in June was turned down because approval would ‘fail to protect the amenity of the neighbouring residents’.

Coun Cottam said: “This is not just about the noise and disturbance to neighbours. It is about him persistently breaking the conditions on his opening hours.”

Farooq Rafig, on behalf of Mr Hinglotwala, said the pharmacy caused no disturbance and the only objections came from other chemist shops.

Ilyas Thagia, on behalf of Shifa Healthcare of Preston Old Road and Whalley Range, said: “This should not be allowed. Riaz Pharmacy has not been observing the rules.”

Planning department development manager Gavin Prescott told committee chairman Dave Smith his enforcement officers would now visit Mr Hinglotwala to ensure he observed the permitted open hours.