A bar which has continually ignored police and council warnings to stop selling alcohol will be forcibly shut after magistrates granted a court order to close it down.
It is the first time that police and council licensing teams have had to use a court order to stop a licensee trading.
They made the application at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday after the Why Not bar, in Melton Road, Leicester, was found to be selling booze despite having its licence revoked on September 20.
Officers from the police and council visited the premises five times after the September hearing and found evidence of trading, despite efforts made to cover the windows with black bags and seal the doors and fire escapes from the inside.
Magistrates yesterday granted the police and city council the power to use reasonable force to enter the premises and close it down permanently.
Sarah Khawaja, prosecuting, said: "This is the first time the council has made this application and it's not a step they take lightly.
"Because the premises is operating outside the Licensing Act, there are limited measures available. This is very much a last resort."
The review of its licence was held after numerous complaints from the public regarding violence and anti- social behaviour at the bar.
Licensing officer Pc Tejas Mavani gave evidence at court yesterday.
He said: "I put an application to have the licence reviewed after complaints from residents about fights with weapons and assaults inside and outside the premises.
"The city council revoked the licence in September due to the public safety concerns."
The bar's manager, Michael Selton, who was not in court yesterday, did not appeal the licensing committee's decision.
Last Friday, nine officers entered the building to find a group drinking at the bar.
Two of the girls were 16 years old.
Pc Mavani said: "The owner arrived and stated that these people were just meant to be emptying the bar and were not customers, but there's no doubt in my mind that alcohol was being served and paid for.
"We've been in and told him it's illegal, but he continues to operate.
"This is the only way I can see that will stop him from doing this."
