Raucous christening closes church hall to functions in North Watford

Revellers partied on until 4am – five hours later than agreed – at Christ Church hall in St Albans Road on Saturday, provoking complaints from annoyed neighbours.

The church’s minister has said the incident was a step too far and it has since been decided to close the hall to functions.

The hall has been a place where people in North Watford could celebrate their anniversaries and milestones since the 1930s.

Dick Lewis, the vicar of Christ Church, said: "There are very few meeting places in North Watford and people like to have a get-together to celebrate things like anniversaries.

“The hall has been in use since the middle of the 1930s. But the church council thinks this last event was too much.

“I just think people are much more concerned with themselves and doing what they want and much less concerned with the effect of what they do on others.”

On the night of the christening Ray Andrews, the church council treasurer and hall manager, receieved a call from a neighbour of the hall at around 2am complaining about the noise coming from the do.

When he arrived at the hall Mr Andrews said he found the party still in full swing.

Mr Andrews said: “There were loads of people all over the place, there were half-eaten plates of food on the floor, there was just general mess.

“The other hall that they hadn’t hired had kids in it and they had taken the toddlers’ toys from the group who use the facility.

“It is a case of the few spoiling it for the many.”

Mr Andrews added that the last of the party-goers did not leave until after 4am.

In the morning a group of volunteers had to be called in to help clear up the aftermath.

People who hire out the hall for functions are told they have to stop the music by 11pm and be out of the hall by midnight.

However, although the church council has decided to ban functions at the hall it will still be open to community groups.

The church said it would be reviewing the situation in the New Year.