A NEWPORT landlord is demanding a council be prosecuted for illegally hosting rock concerts and shows.

The Argus revealed how the council forgot to renew the public entertainment licence at Newport Centre in June 2003.

But big acts such as Van Morrison, The Stranglers and The Charlatans all played the city's top venue.

The lack of a licence for singing, dancing or entertainment meant the council could have been fined £20,000.

Peter Rice, 39, landlord of The Royal Albert, in Maindee, said the council is quick to come down hard on publicans who break the law.

He added: "If they haven't been fined for their own mistake then why should we be punished?

" They come down on us, but not themselves. They should be fined." The Royal Albert is awaiting the outcome of its licence application. Dad Mike Rice, 60, who ran the pub up until this month, said: "It's double standards.

"They can't keep their own house in order. I didn't realise I needed a licence to have a two person singing act and I was stopped straight away. "Quite a few other pubs in Maindee had visits from licensing officials over the same thing."

Licensing officials were told on July 6, 2004 that the centre was unlicensed. But the council continued to hold events at the centre - the latest being a lunchtime recital on August 4.

The leisure department applied for a licence on July 29 and this week the licensing committee agreed to licence the centre.A council spokeswoman said if a premises held entertainment without a licence it would be encouraged to apply for one.

Prosecution was most likely if the premises was thought unsuitable by fire officers or experts and the owner persisted in holding events.

A spokesman for the leisure department apologised for the lapse and said a computer database system would ensure the mistake was not repeated.