A Castlederg amusement arcade will be allowed to operate on a Sunday, despite strong religious objections from members of Strabane District Council.

In August this year, business men Jerome Carlin and Ronan Dolan came before council hoping to secure both an amusement and gaming licence for premises at Castlederg's Main Street. During the meeting, several councillors voiced their concerns on 'religious grounds' at the men's plans to open from 12-10pm on a Sunday. As a result, it was decided that the applicants would be consulted to see if a compromise could be reached.

In a follow-up meeting on the issue last week, councillors were informed that the two men had agreed to stay closed on Sunday if it meant securing their permit.

The compromise was however objected to by councillor McHugh who said the men should be subjected to the same terms as every other licencing application that came before the chamber. He added that Mr Dolan and Mr Carlin had only agreed to curtail their opening hours because they felt under pressure that not to accept the terms might mean their application would be rejected.

Councillor Ivan Barr agreed that previous applicants had not been instructed to review their Sunday opening hours and to do so now, could leave council open to legal action.

"If these men ask why are we being treated differently to everyone else and decide to consult their solicitor, they may well have a case. This council needs to be consistent," Mr Barr said.

A proposal by Mr McHugh that the original application for seven day opening be reinstated was put to a vote. Despite four councillors again objecting on religious grounds, seven councillors did back the Dolan/Carlin application and it was granted.