A DUNFERMLINE dad says a shisha bar that has opened across his street in Abbeyview is making his life a "total nightmare".

He said he was even thinking of moving him and his seven-year-old daughter to a homeless unit to escape the hassle.

John Booth lives across the street from Buzz Shisha Bar at 22 Duncan Crescent and claims that, despite closing at 10pm, the shutters don't go down until midnight and unruly patrons are outside the premises until 2am.

He told the Press: "I suffer from sever social anxiety disorder and depression so it has really impacted me and if it is affecting me, it's affecting my seven-year-old daughter. It's not just me, there is loads of families around this place.

"Every day until 2 o'clock in the morning, since it opened about two weeks ago, they're all out, smoking grass and laughing right outside my daughter's window."

The noise isn't just an inconvenience for John, it has started to impact on him seeing his daughter.

"She won't sleep in her room anymore, she point-blank refuses because there's 'bad men' outside. She's only seven.

"I've always wanted her to enjoy coming to my flat, I split up with her mum a few years ago. It's just a total nightmare. I'm actually considering taking me and my daughter into the homeless unit to get away from this."

As the Press reported earlier this month, Buzz Shisha Bar have applied for retrospective planning permission for the site but John feels that this should not be approved, and a petition signed by around 250 residents has been handed in to Fife Council, who will decide whether it should be allowed to continue.

He said: "It should never ever be granted this planning permission. If this gets granted then there is something completely wrong with the system that is designed to protect me and my daughter."

Planning agent John Raeburn, of Poplar Design & Build Ltd, told the Press previously: "Works were carried out to the building – they're pretty much complete – but my client was unaware he needed planning permission.

"That's why it's a retrospective application which we've now submitted and are awaiting a decision on."

He believes that this new business benefits the community and that residents' fears of an increase in anti-social behaviour are unwarranted. He continued: "It's converting a derelict building that was falling into disrepair and bringing something new to the area.

"There's a demand and it will be well-controlled. They're not going to let kids in and they have been speaking to local councillors about their proposals.

"I've read some of the comments about it attracting drug use, encouraging children to start vaping and lending itself to anti-social behaviour in the area, everyone has their own opinion but shisha bars are becoming more popular and I have never seen reports confirming any of these concerns."

Fife Council say they are aware of the worry and upset in the street, a spokesperson said: "Safer Communities team manager Dawn Jamieson confirmed the team is aware of community concerns and that they will continue to work with local police colleagues to monitor the situation.

"The council's public protection team is also investigating a noise complaint."