NEW licensees at the Fairmile Hotel in Christchurch say they are not to blame for the cancellation of a planned charity fireworks night.

Organisers pulled the plug after learning the planned venue, part of the pub gardens and car park, was not assigned to landlady Carole Whitford and partner Doug Thompson when they took over the lease earlier this month.

The pair say they were as surprised and concerned as anyone to discover owner Enterprise Inns was planning to sever the area of ground from the pub curtilage.

Carole said: "All we know is that it was not included in the agreement and we only found that out when we arrived."

The partners have rejected claims that they refused to underwrite the £600 demanded by the fireworks committee to stage the event.

They say they were approached on the day they arrived at the pub and asked to stump up the money.

Said Doug: "We didn't know anything about a fireworks night and asked to meet them the following week to discuss it, but they just held a meeting among themselves and decided to disband the committee."

Carole added: "We never said no'. We asked for a meeting, but it didn't come about."

She said it was unfortunate timing that the proposed fireworks night was so close to the arrival at the Fairmile, delayed since April, when they were involved in a lot of expenditure in refurbishing the pub following a brief closure.

"We want to see it back as a community pub and get people coming in here again," she said.