A LEADING Ryedale landlord claims Malton and Norton are losing out in the entertainment stakes and has called for a nightclub to be opened in one of the towns.

And he has been backed up by other licensees in the towns, who fear they are losing valuable custom because young revellers are choosing to go to York and Scarborough instead.

Malton's Royal Oak landlord, Malcolm "Lofty" Braithwaite, who is also chairman of the Malton and Norton Licensed Victuallers' Association (LVA), said the town was crying out for a nightclub.

"It's about time we had something for the young people in this town," he said.

"At the moment they are all heading out to places like York and Scarborough for nights out because there is nothing for them to do here.

"This means that pub landlords like myself are losing out on valuable trade."

Lofty helps run the bar at the Milton Rooms monthly discos - which over the past have proved popular and relatively trouble-free.

But he added that if a nightclub opened to serve Malton and Norton it would encourage younger residents to stay and attract others from outside.

"Business could be booming, but instead at a weekend it's quiet because everyone is leaving the town," he said.

"I was speaking to a friend who is a bus driver and he said the last bus from York to Malton is always full of young people who are coming home after a night out."

Sharon Appleby, landlady at the Clarence Pub, Wheelgate, Malton, is also in favour of a local nightclub.

"I have been in the town for 16 weeks now and it's clear we need something to keep the young people here," she said.

"There isn't much by way of entertainment in the towns, so I find people leave at around 10pm so they can catch buses and trains into York or Scarborough - just so they can continue enjoying their night.

"We're definitely losing out here and something needs to be done."

But she said she would be keen for a nightclub not to disturb the peace of any residents.

"There are plenty of disused buildings just outside the town where there are no houses which would make ideal locations."

If you would like to put forward ideas for a nightclub in the town, or if you run a pub and would like to join the Malton and Norton LVA, contact Lofty on 01653 692122.

Updated: 08:54 Monday, November 26, 2001