Strictly no wine at pensioners’ tea dances to stop rowdiness

Organisers of a school hall tea dance for pensioners were forced to withdraw an application for an alcohol licence because neighbours feared they could become rowdy "all-hours events".

Dancers with an average age of 60 had hoped to waltz, tango and Charleston their way through Saturday afternoons, with the occasional glass of wine at evening functions.

The £5-a-head weekly dances were to raise funds for Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park, which lost out when the Government cut the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Carmen Dance organiser Jayne Rowe said: "We thought that if we ever had an evening function, we might offer a glass of wine. We were initially led to believe that serving alcohol wouldn't be a problem and the next thing the governors are up in arms. The neighbours thought the whole school was going to be opened up for all-singing, all-dancing, all-hours events."

The chair of governors, Adam Leys, said the board would re-evaluate the ban after inspecting the dances when they begin next month. He said: "We will have to see what it is that they actually want to do."

Ms Rowe, who has danced with Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke, agreed to amend the Camden application to exclude alcohol.

Acland Burghley's head, Jo Armitage, said: "The school is trying to be a community service as well as keeping our neighbours happy. It's a balancing act and about getting optimum usage of the hall."