THE NEW owners of a notorious ex-night club have won a controversial bid to stay open later.

The Grade II-listed building at 159 South Woodford High Road was left an empty shell in 2014 after owners Funky Mojoe were ousted in a £200,000 legal battle over crime and disorder at the venue.

In early 2016 Redbridge Council gave a company called R and I Essex permission to convert the old TOWIE night spot into a high-end restaurant called The Woodford.

But just over a year later diners were chucked out in the middle of their meals and it went bust. R and I reopened the venue as LDN Grill a few weeks ago.

When neighbours heard LDN Grill wanted to extend its opening hours to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1am Friday and Saturday they were desperate to voice their concerns.

But despite threatening legal action over fears it could go down the same road as Funky Mojoe, Redbridge Council granted the application yesterday (July 19).

At a heated licensing meeting at the town hall in Ilford R and I’s solicitor David Dadds said: “This is a restaurant, nothing more, nothing less – there can be no doubt about that.

“This is not a night club – all customers must have a meal.

“All we want is an extra half an hour to allow another dinner sitting to make the business more viable.”

Mr Dadds claimed there has been no crime and disorder at the venue during its time as The Woodford or LDN Grill.

But elderly neighbours living in retirement flats nearby were not convinced it would stay trouble-free if stayed open later, and worried the sleepless nights they endured from Funky Mojoe could return.

Lynda Edwards, of Manor Court Lodge, said: “This extra half an hour is going to come at our expense, because we’ll be kept awake.

“We’ve been down this road many, many times before and we don’t want it to happen again.”

The retirement block’s manager Maureen Gilbey added the venue was still in its “honeymoon period” and problems with noise and anti-social behaviour would be more likely as time goes on – especially if it stayed open into the night.

Daniel Shrier, of Tempus Court, voiced major concern over LDN Grill’s upstairs bar.

He said: “Any argument that it’s just a restaurant is just smoke and mirrors.

“All its marketing material says it’s a cocktail bar.”

But Mr Dadds insisted people were only allowed into the bar if they were having a meal and said “the world would have to freeze over” before Mr Shrier gave them a chance.

Despite council officers’ concerns about the venue being in a “cumulative impact zone” and having no car park, the committee approved the extended hours providing it remains a restaurant, no one is charged for entry, and customers are banned from coming in after 11pm.