POLICE Scotland was accused of trying to introduce "illegal price-fixing" after calling for off sales from a hotel to be sold at a higher price than normal at a meeting of licensing bosses in East Lothian.

The licensing board was meeting to discuss an application by the new tenant of the Linton Hotel, in East Linton, to increase his hours and allow the sale of alcohol for take away as well as drinking on the premises.

A letter from Police Scotland to the board urged them to consider adding a condition to the off sales licence that "alcohol is sold at the same price as it would if they were consuming it on the premises".

However lawyer for the new landlord Alastair Macdonald told the board the move was unpractical and, in his view, illegal.

He said: "It has an element, to my mind, of price fixing, which is illegal."

The board was told the issue was raised with the new landlord Patrick Cairney, during initial discussions with police and he had been happy to accept their request.

However Mr Cairney told the board it had been "naive" of him to accept their stipulation about pricing and after discussions with Mr Macdonald he realised it would not be good for his business plan.

Mr Cairney, a former butcher in East Linton, said: "I was possibly a bit naive in the first instance to agree to it. Part of my business plan in the future involves the possibility of outside catering and this restriction could have a major impact on that side of the business."

The board was told most hotels and restaurants had an off sales licence as part of their standard licence, but it had never been applied for with the Linton Hotel.

Mr Cairney said it would allow patrons and guests to buy additional alcohol to take away rather than establishing an off licence in the village.

And he pointed to the catering side of the business as an additional reason.

He has relaunched the hotel with a restaurant upstairs in the former function suite as The Linton Hotel and Steakhouse.

One objection to the request for off-sales and to extend drinking hours by one hour in the evenings, came from a neighbour whose property backed on to the hotel's garden.

Mr Cairney's lawyer told the board the issue had, in the psat, been resolved by installing a fence between the properties but after the last landlord left the hotel owner removed the fence.

He said Mr Cairney was happy to reinstate the fence and it was believed this would resolve any future complaints.

Board member Councillor Willie Innes welcomed the decision to reinstate the fence and said he was concerned by the police request to set a high price for off sales.

Mr Innes said: "I was slightly surprised by the police condition. Every licenced premises for on sales has an off sales licence and the vast majority are not conditioned by pricing.

"It is a request which may require a discussion when we come to look at our policy in East Lothian as a whole but enforcing such a condition on an ad hoc basis is untidy.

"East Linton is a lovely place and needs facilities such as a high quality eating establishment and this is a good thing for the community, I hope the business is a success."