Health chiefs have come under fire after objecting to a rural cafe being allowed to serve alcohol by claiming it was in an area of high harm.

Agents representing the Herd Cafe, on the Balgone Estate more than a mile from the outskirts of North Berwick, said the NHS objection appeared to simply ‘copy and paste’ the venue’s name on a ‘generic’ complaint.

However health bosses have hit back insisting they treat every licence application individually.

Concerns were raised over the objection as the cafe operators applied for an alcohol licence to allow them to host events at the new premises around the year.

A meeting of East Lothian Licensing Board heard the estate, which has a long established reputation for rural events including a sunflower festival and pumpkin patch, hopes to promote l

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