A POPULAR jazz club has been cancelled for two months after council officials received a single noise complaint.

Organisers of the Little Jazz Club put on a gig every Sunday evening at the Mayflower, in High Street, Old Leigh . The club attracts up-and-coming talent along with world famous jazz musicians.

However, the club has been pulled from the pub’s summer schedule after Southend Council received an anonymous noise complaint.

Heather Simmons, 40, who set up the club two years ago, had been asked by the pub to continue into the summer months.

Heather, of Leighville Grove, Leigh, said: “It had become so popular, the pub asked us to continue, which we did.

“The last two Sundays it has been very warm so the doors were propped open and that was when we had the complaint.

“I find it very strange, because it finishes at 10.30pm. It is not as if jazz is particularly loud.”

The club will restart on September 30, when the evenings are cooler, meaning the doors stay closed.

Heather, who sings in her act called Two for Tea, added: “I have always wanted to make jazz music more accessible for people of all ages.”

Southend Council informed pub owner Robin Levey of the complaint by letter. It warned the council would be forced to mount an investigation if it received more complaints.

Mr Levy said: “It is a complete mystery to us who made the complaint because we have the jazz night at the back of the pub, where there are no houses.

“We received an informal letter from the council notifying us and saying if it persisted they would need to look into it further. We didn’t want that, so we decided to cancel it.

“Whoever has complained has upset a lot of people who come and enjoy jazz here.”