A NIGHTCLUB could lose its licence after police said it had become a magnet for boozed-up yobs and violence.

Basildon’s most senior policeman has taken the unusual step of appealing for Sky Bar to have its licence reviewed.

It comes as police claim they attended a catalogue of violent incidents outside the nightspot involving punters and staff.

A report by Chief Supt Maurice Mason gives an alarming snapshot of incidents at the bar on Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park during a four-month period.

They include: l Claims a woman was sexually assaulted by another reveller and thrown out when she complained to bouncers l An allegation two brothers were attacked by Sky Bar doorstaff and claims of up to 30-strong gang fights involving customers.

l Police also claim they have had to deal with underage drinkers at the nightspot and partygoers so drunk they had to be taken home by officers.

Mr Mason said booze-related trouble flared at the bar after it introduced a drink promotion last winter, giving punters entry and all their drinks for the cost of between £12 and £15.

He said on the first day of the promotion there were eight incidents of trouble, compared with just one on a different day when the offer was not in force.

Mr Mason said in the report: “The strong police view was the current promotion was irresponsible.

“It was from December 28, 2008 that the number of incidents began to rise sharply to an unacceptable level.

“It was clear the majority of these were taking place on days the promotion was in force. There is an unacceptable level of disorder very often involving assaults.”

Despite several meetings with licensees of the Sky Bar and appeals to them to stop the promotion, the club still runs the offer on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mr Mason added in the report: “The police, therefore, have no confidence in the premises’ licence holder or the management to deal effectively with instances of underage drinking, but particularly drunkenness and disorder.

“The police can only see the situation getting worse.”

The Sky Bar’s licence will be reviewed at a hearing of Basildon council’s licensing sub committee next week.

Options open to members include revoking the bar’s licence, suspending it or removing the management.

SKY BAR IS NO WORSE THAN ANY OTHER NIGHTSPOT

THE boss of Sky Bar said the venue will battle to keep its licence and is no worse than other nightspots offering cheap booze.

Simon Grant, area manager for the Sugar Hut Group, which owns the Sky Bar, said the club will refute several of the incidents police claim have involved their staff or customers.

And he said, despite the cops blaming the bar’s cheap drinks promotion for a surge in trouble, the number of incidents was in proportion to the increased number of revellers now visiting the club to take up its all-inclusive drinks offer.

Mr Grant said the club had CCTV which proved a 30-strong fight, said to involve the bar’s customers, only involved two people.

He also rubbished claims a woman was booted out after telling doorstaff she had been sexually assaulted. He said staff took her allegation seriously, but had to eject her after she became abusive.

Mr Grant also said no charges have ever been brought against staff, alleged to have attacked some of Sky Bar’s punters.

He said: “We will be refuting a lot of these things at the hearing. When you have a busy nightclub and people are drinking, there is a likelihood you will have some trouble, it would be great if it wasn’t that way.

“We accept since the club became busier there is more trouble.

“But before the drinks promotion we only had 200 people in every night. Now we have between 1,000 and 1,200 people a night, so the incidents are relative to the number of people we are getting through the doors.

“It is not against the law to have drinks promotions, it is a competitive market and every nightclub I know is running promotions.”