HAMPSHIRE police have come under fire after officers spent almost £1,000 dining out on lobsters and drink during a protracted undercover operation into suspected late night drinking at an Isle of Wight restaurant.

The costly surveillance operation was revealed at an Isle of Wight magistrates' court hearing over the licence for Salty's Restaurant at Yarmouth.

Barrister James Rankin, representing mother and daughter Joanne and Nicole Green, also claimed the officers lied after finding no evidence to put before magistrates.

He said officers ate far more than they needed to during no fewer than 14 undercover visits, and described the sergeant behind the operation as a "man obsessed'', gaining authorisation to spend almost £1,000 on the matter.

Mr Rankin said of one female police officer: "She was so drunk she would not have known where she was.''

Despite the claims, magistrates ruled after a six-day hearing that the licence should be revoked on the grounds that Nicole Green was not a fit and proper person to hold it.

Magistrates cited, among the reasons for rescinding the licence, the trail of damage left by Nicole Green at the nearby Bugle Hotel, where she smashed a till, broke a vending machine, telephone answering machine and doorframe, and tipped a pint of beer over the licensee's head.

Summing up the police case, barrister Kenneth Pain also outlined a history of abuse in Yarmouth by the restaurant licensees, including an incident when Nicole Green punched Craig Knowles, landlord of the local Horse and Groom pub, in the face, splitting his lip.

Mr Pain also defended Pc Robert Noddings, WPS Nina Gallichan and WPc Michelle Jackson in the way they carried out their investigation.

Mr Pain denied that licensing officer Sgt Stuart Palmer had applied pressure to get results, and outlined the fact that officers had observed and reported drinks being sold after 11pm at Salty's - in direct contravention of their licence.

But Mr Rankin challenged the officers' report and said there had been no evidence gathered by any officer that money had changed hands for drinks served after 11pm.

He said: "It gives me no pleasure to make these allegations, but I believe that because these officers were running up such hefty bills they were under pressure to come up with the goods.''

Lawyers acting for the Green family are currently considering whether to appeal or make a fresh application solely on behalf of 55-year-old grandmother Joanne Green, who magistrates made no findings against.

The Greens were also ordered to pay full costs of the case of £4,750.

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