A HAMPSHIRE nightclub described as one of the county's top night-time trouble spots has lost its licence to operate.

The decision has cast a huge question mark over the future of Eastleigh's Earth Bar and Club, which is the town's only major nightclub and attracts thousands of revellers from across the south each week.

During a six-hour hearing, Eastleigh's Licensing Panel were presented with a catalogue of more than 140 incidents of trouble outside the club and saw video footage of large scale drunken brawls breaking out in nearby streets well into the early hours of the morning.

Some nightclubbers leaving the premises were so drunk that they could hardly stand up.

Mr Peter Saville, counsel representing the police, said: "These premises are simply out of control. The police no longer have any confidence in the management of the club."

In a statement, Police Sergeant Rhiannon Ivens spoke of how she had been surrounded by up to 100 people as she single-handedly tried to break up a fight outside the club on Upper Market Street.

She said: "I could not state how many incidents I have been to directly outside the nightclub where people have left the club completely intoxicated and caused public order incidents.

"The state of some prisoners have been near to collapse as they have drunk so much alcohol inside the club."

PS Ivens continued: "I would dread policing the area and fear the inevitable calls on the radio 10 fighting outside the Earth' 20 fighting' and so on.

"I was often patrolling on my own and would end up attending fights while back-up was being called.

"I would find myself in a situation where I would be attempting to stop a fight on my own for several minutes prior to further assistance.

"I would often be surrounded by many individuals, up to 100 on some occasions, most of whom had consumed alcohol and this made me fear for my safety."

So drunk She added: "I would say the volume of prisoners I have had from the Earth are in their hundreds. I cannot think of one that was not intoxicated.

"Some have been so drunk that they have been taken straight to hospital for treatment prior to returning to the police station."

Giving evidence at the hearing Adam Savage, of the Earth Bar and Club, said he felt that some of the 142 counts cited against the club were unjustified.

He said: "A large proportion of the video evidence produced by the police shows incidents away from our premises. We cannot be held responsible for groups of people converging outside our premises."

Licensing committee chairman Councillor Peter Wall explained that they were revoking the licence because of concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder and concerns with public safety.

He said: "There was evidence that the door supervisors were heavy handed and did not appear to make attempts to prevent or control incidents as they occurred."

The panel is recommending that prior to an application being made to re-licence the premises, that consideration is given to providing CCTV and security control for the car park area.

Police have welcomed the panel's decision and Inspector Peter Funnell, of the Safer Streets Team, said: "The number of reported incidents associated with the premises has frequently led to a drain on police resources in the Eastleigh area on Friday and Saturday nights."

The club has 21 days to appeal against the decision, and can continue to operate during that period.

As the Earth representatives left after the hearing they declined to make any further comment.