A bar whose customers were involved in a series of drunken fights has closed after it lost a legal bid to keep its licence.
The Long Bar, in Market Street, Leicester city centre, originally had its licence revoked by Leicester City Council in January, following complaints about serious violent incidents inside and in the street.
Its owners exercised their right to appeal the council's ruling, allowing it to remain open pending the outcome of a hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court.
The hearing was held on Thursday and magistrates upheld the council's order.
Police said the bar's customers had been involved in 19 violent incidents between July and December. Incidents included the arrest of four 16-year-olds after someone was glassed following a fight inside and outside the bar.
In other incidents, a man was stabbed, another suffered a broken jaw, while four police officers were injured during a large-scale disturbance.
Also, the bar failed a police "test purchase" operation by agreeing to sell alcohol to a 16-year-old boy, who was secretly accompanied by plainclothes police officers.
On another occasion, youths aged 16 and 17, who were detained after an incident outside the bar, told police they had been drinking inside.
Leicester's assistant city mayor for neighbourhood services, Councillor Sarah Russell, said: "I am pleased magistrates have upheld the views of the police and the city council's licensing team, who recommended revoking the bar's licence, and the licensing committee, which revoked the licence back in January. We want people to be able to enjoy the city centre and feel safe there at any time of the day."
Pc Tejas Mavani, of city police's licensing unit, said: "We work tirelessly with premises to ensure licensing objectives are upheld.
"However, in a small number of cases we have to take action in order to protect the general public.
"The list of violent incidents occurring at the location, compounded with the premises serving a 16-year-old in a test purchase operation, left us no other option but to ask for revocation of the licence."
Long Bar owner Yogesh Sharma said he told the council committee earlier this year and the magistrates' court some of the disturbances did not involve his customers and happened up to 30 minutes after the bar had closed.
Mr Sharma said: "Revoking the licence was the ultimate thing the police and the council could do. I wanted to work with them. I have lost a lot of money because the business is now closed and 15 people have lost their jobs.
"The legal fees are going to end up something like £10,000.
"I am a hard-working licensee and I am devastated I have lost my business. I just don't think it needed to go this far."
