MP Iain Duncan Smith has spoken out against an Indian restaurant and bar having its opening times extended to 2am last week.

The licensing application was agreed with conditions for Red Mantra, in George Lane, South Woodford, last Tuesday (September 15) at a committee meeting at Redbridge town hall in Ilford.

The restaurant and bar opened in 2009 and was granted a licence to stay open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays in early 2010.

In July this year, Red Mantra applied to extend the weekend closing times by one hour, taking it to 2.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.

At the licensing committee hearing last week, it was ruled that it would be allowed to open until 2am, rather than 2.30am, on these days.

It will continue to close at 12.30am on every other day of the week.

A condition of no admittance after midnight for new customers was attached to the successful application.

Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative MP for Woodford Green, was unhappy with the result because of its presence in a Cumulative Impact Zone.

He said: “Local residents are already concerned about noise disruptions from the bar and overspill of drunken customers in the area once the bar has been closed, which often leads to littering and criminal damage.

“Longer opening hours means more people under the influence of alcohol and thus more disturbance to residents.”

Neal Kerry, who lives in Alveston Square near to Red Mantra, said he often hears people shouting and making a lot of noise on Friday and Saturday nights.

He said: “A small extension in opening hours still translates to potentially being kept up that much later for residents, and I do have a concern that they will keep applying for extensions and their hours will continue to creep in small fifteen minute increments.

“The whole point of the cumulative impact zone, as far as I can see, is to prohibit this from happening so I'm disappointed that they were given any extension.”

But Red Mantra manager, Dipum Patel, said the company had invested £20,000 since complaints in 2010 to make sure the noise levels were kept to a minimum with soundproof glass and an extra back door installed.

He also pointed out that both the police and environmental health officers did not object to the opening hours extension.

Mr Patel said: “Red Mantra is an important part of the nightlife of South Woodford and we are the perfect venue for groups of people to come for dinner and stay for a few drinks.

“Increasing our opening hours means our clientele, which is generally over the age of 25, will not need to go anywhere else afterwards.

“For a year now we have had no complaints or disorder whatsoever.”