DROITWICH'S disused county council offices will not become a Smith & Jones pub after a planning inspector dismissed an appeal against a decision to refuse planning permission.

The inspector agreed with police officers and local people that turning the Ombersley Street East building into a pub could lead to an increase in the crime and disorder already rife in the area. In a letter of objection sent to Wychavon District Council, divisional crime risk manager PC Robert Stephenson had said: "I cannot think of a worst place to put a new pub in the whole of the town."

Setting out the reasons for the decision, the inspector said there had been 240 incidents of violence and disorder over a two-year period within an area that included Worcester Road, Morrisons supermarket, St Andrew's Street, the site of the empty council offices and homes to the west of it.

He added: "A greater number of drinkers in the middle of an area that already experiences a high level of disorderly behaviour would lead to an increase in such incidents."

He also said local people had given graphic descriptions of drunken behaviour and late-night noise and he believed allowing the pub plan to go ahead would reduce the residents' quality of life.

Town councillor Graham Gopsill welcomed the decision, saying residents had suffered from damage caused to their cars and litter left in their gardens.

He said: "Residents have had nightmares about it being turned into a fun pub.

"There will be rejoicing in the Spa. Nobody wanted it. It would have caused a tremendous amount of problems for the police and everybody else. We don't want this sort of thing in Droitwich. It's a small town.

"We've already seen problems with pubs in Worcester recently. We don't want those problems in Droitwich."

A spokesman for the residents living nearby said: "We'd like to thank the police, present and former local politicians and everyone who objected to this plan.

"We want to preserve a peaceful lifestyle."