CAMPAIGNERS were today celebrating victory in their fight to stop a 1,400-capacity superclub opening on their doorsteps.

A bid to spend £1.6m to reopen two notorious Southampton nightspots – McClusky’s and New York New York – as a new club called Escapade was thrown out by councillors.

National club operator Nexum Leisure withdrew a request for a 24-hour licence in favour of opening until 4am after an unprecedented 150 objections from nearby residents.

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They insisted the proposed Queensway club would attract alcohol-fuelled violence, vandalism and noise nuisance to their neighbourhood – and were backed by Southampton police who compiled a 100-page dossier on previous problems.

Nexum promised it would be the best club in the city “by miles” and proposed using security wands, ID scanners and sniffer dogs to vet punters, banning allyou- can-drink deals, and offering to pay for CCTV and extra policing.

They urged councillors to ignore the history of crime and under-age drinking at the previous venues, as they had been operated by a different firm before shutting in 2004.

But there were cheers from residents as licensing committee chairman Councillor Brian Parnell announced the application had been refused.

Leading objector Charlotte Egan, from Briton Street Residents’ Association, who lives just yards away from the site in Oceana Boulevard, said: “We’re absolutely over the moon. It was the common sense solution we were all looking for.”

City centre police chief Inspector Phil Bates said: “It’s a right and just outcome.”

Nexum chief executive Paul Kinsey said he would consider his options, including appealing.