A pub is to host a gay night for 16-18 year-olds after requests from teenagers.

Jamie Smirk, 16, approached Maidstone’s Queen Anne pub with his idea for an under-18 gay night, having been turned away from other gay pubs and clubs around Kent.

Landlord Tim Cross, whose pub in Queen Anne Road is advertised as “Kent’s No.1 Gay Pub”, agreed to a trial 16-18 night, which will be held on Tuesday September 2.

The landlord said those attending would not be able to buy alcohol, and he would closely monitor who came into the pub on the night.

He said: “Obviously I don’t want to upset regular customers or attract the wrong sort of person coming down for the younger people’s night. We’ll have to be careful who we let in.

“It’s not the ideal environment for them but it’s better than being on street corners.

“It’s to give them a safe place to meet together.”

Mr Smirk, from Chatham, said: “I am trying to get as many people as possible to make it a success, so that it can happen on a more regular basis.”