A pub landlady has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 in legal costs after playing music without a licence.

Amy Turner, who runs the Cherry Tree public house in Cressing Road, Witham, must also pay £100 a month to backdate her music licence after she was caught out by inspectors.

At the High Court in London, Mr Justice Barling was told that Turner had been caught playing copyrighted tracks without a licence from music royalties collectors, Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL).

When an inspector visited on February 20 he heard tracks including Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs and Let’s Dance by David Bowie.

The judge made a banning order and ordered Turner to pay £2,137 in legal costs by July 30.

However, the music ban has been put on hold as long as she makes regular payments to clear the money she owes.

The landlady told the Times she did not wish to discuss the case.

See this week's Witham Times for the full story.