A Westcountry daily has celebrated a campaign's success after the news broke that its drive to keep live music in pubs was backed by the House of Lords.

The Western Morning News, based in Plymouth, launched a campaign earlier this year against the Government's Licensing Bill, which would make pubs pay for a special licence to put on any kind of live act.

But peers voted against those plans and want to exempt small venues - such as pubs - from requiring entertainment licences for live music.

The defeat came as the Lords debated Commons amendments to the Licensing Bill.

They voted that small premises with live music for an audience under 200 and where entertainment finishes before 11.30pm would not have to meet the requirements under the amendment.

The Western Morning News published a petition form, and cut-out coupons which were sent to Culture Minister Kim Howells, asking for small-scale performances to be exempt from a licence.

And more than 11,000 readers backed the campaign along with landlords and musicians including Billy Bragg.

He said: "The Lords seem to understand what the Government does not - the critical relationship between musicians and landlords.

"Pubs are often the first stage for a young performer and forcing each licensee to obtain permission to have live music would be devastating."

Readers were also asked to display a double-page poster in support of the campaign.

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