Plans to hold extra sports events at Anfield rejected

Liverpool FC wants to hold extra events outside of the football season

Plans to host extra sporting events at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium have been rejected by councillors.

Liverpool wanted to host rugby league, rugby union and other sports on dates outside the regular football calendar.

However, residents raised concerns over parking, noise and anti-social behaviour and councillors voted to reject the plans.

A second application to hold non-sporting events, such as music concerts, has been deferred.

The plans to hold non-sports events are limited to between mid May and the end of June, and will avoid the football season.

A date is yet to be set for that application to be discussed again by the planning committee.

If approved, up to 10 concerts per year could be hosted at the 54,000-capacity ground.

Councillor Adele Dowling, who voted against the plans, said car parking and anti-social behaviour were already an issue on match days.

She said cars often parked on central reservations and "churn up the grass", while people had "used front gardens and alleyways as toilets".

Ms Dowling added: "There is an awful lot that Anfield has had to put up with."