PEOPLE in East Oxford fear they will suffer sleepless nights if a restaurateur goes ahead with plans to create a ‘shisha’ garden for up to 100 smokers.

Families living in Temple Street are worried revellers visiting a planned new restaurant, with an outdoor area to be used for smoking Arabic-style ‘hubbly bubbly’ pipes, will lead to the return of late night noise, which ceased in the street after the closure of the Temple Bar five months ago.

Alex Stonor, 44, of Temple Street, said drinkers at the former pub who smoked outside had kept her and her two sons awake until 2am.

She is fearful the problem could re-occur when the restaurant, to be known as Temple Lounge, opens in February.

Ms Stonor, who has two sons aged 15 and 13, said: “We’re concerned about the noise because this is a family street.

“The smoking ban – which I wasn’t in favour of – means people have to smoke outside. And when they have a drink they completely forget they’re in a residential street.

“This is going to upset the tranquillity of the street.

“If they go a little bit outside their licence, we are not going to stand by silently. We don’t want people talking in the street after 10pm.”

Marie Bois, 34, said she had been forced to move into a back bedroom at her house to escape the noise caused by revellers leaving the Temple Bar.

She said: “The bar was a bit noisy so we were quite happy when it closed. We don’t have a problem with a shisha restaurant, but we don’t know what sort of people it’s going to attract. I do worry it will be noisier than Temple Bar.”

The owners of Temple Lounge will spend £100,000 kitting out the new venue into an 80-seat cafe and Asian and Arabic restaurant.

They have vigorously denied the venue will cause noise and said they have no plans to serve alcohol.

However, diners will be able to bring along their own alcohol if eating meals at the restaurant.

Naz Choudhury, director of the House of Spice group, which bought the venue from Wadworth Brewery, said he had knocked on every door in the street to listen to concerns. He said: “The previous premises was a problem and had been for a while.

“I’m turning this pub into a cafe and restaurant and I am sure we will be much quieter than a pub serving alcohol.

“I want to get on with my neighbours so if they have any concerns when we open, they should come see me.”

The restaurant will create 10 new jobs.