The owners of a late-night bar say they are 'confident' of overturning a cut in opening hours.

Police called for the closure of Loco Lounge in Station Road, Chingford, following crime and disorder in the past twelve months.

PC Donna Wilcox headed up a town hall review of the venue's licence after deciding the management team had withheld CCTV footage of a fight. 

Following a heated three-hour discussion between solicitors representing both parties on Thursday, the council's licensing sub-committee decided on Monday to cut opening hours from 2am to 12.30am at weekends - and ban the sale of alcohol from midnight. 

The bar's solicitor David Dadds has now released a statement on behalf of Loco Lounge criticising the ruling.  

He said: "The decision does not represent a fair and proportionate response to the calling of the review.  

"All that was necessary was the imposition of additional conditions, which have proven since the implementation that the premises can operate to promote the licensing objectives.

"Loco Lounge provided information from the police that show they had no more calls than other premises in the vicinity.  

"In fact, it was suggested that Loco Lounge had less.

"The premises will continue to operate the later hour because it will appeal.  

"Therefore, it will be business as usual and we thank those many residents who wrote in, in support of the premises.

"The premise is a safe place to come to and the premises is confident of winning an appeal before the local magistrates, who will hopefully hear this matter in a proportionate and fair way which the premises say they were denied at the council."

As part of the council's conditions, Loco Lounge must continue using Clubscan, an ID scanning system used to deter unwanted trouble-makers barred from other venues. 

PC Wilcox said: "Police believe that the decision made by the sub-committee was proportionate.

However there is an appeals process and at this moment in time we wish to make no further comment."