A BURNLEY pub faces many silent nights over the festive period after being banned from playing music by a High Court judge.

The Plane Tree Hotel, Westgate, was banned after being caught playing music without a licence, the High Court was told.

Proprietor Neil Cook, who was not present or represented in court, was also ordered to pay more than £1,500 in legal costs by Mr Justice Briggs. And he was warned that he faced a fined of up to £10,000 if he played any music before bringing his licence up to date.

The ban applies to all forms of recorded music such as records, tapes and CDs in Phonographic Perform-ance Ltd's repertoire, which covers 97per cent of all music. Music licences can cost thousands of pounds, depending on the size of the venue and the audiences involved.

The court was told that a PPL inspector called at the Plane Tree on February 10 and heard tracks being played, including You Spin Me Around' by Dead or Alive, Hung Up' by Madonna, Rock DJ' by Robbie Williams, My Humps' by Black Eyed Peas and Out of Touch' by Uniting Nations, even though no licence was in force.

Jessie Bowhill, prosecuting, said that solicitors had sent a letter to the premises on June 9, informing Cook of the nature and extent of PPL's repertoire.

He said the letter also told how the playing in public of sound record-ings without PPL's licence or permission constitutes infringement of its copyright. It also invited him to acquire a licence.

Following his failure to do so, PPL's solicitors issued a claim form on October 25, posted it by first class post to the premises on the same day, and it was therefore "deemed served" upon the defendant, under operation of the law, on 27 October, the court was told.

A spokesperson for PPL said: "Whenever you play a sound recording in public, there are two separate licence fees to be paid.

"PPL distributes its licence fees to record companies, recording artists and musicians, and the Performing Rights Society collects a separate licence fee which they distribute to composers and music publishers."