A ATTEMPT by the police to close a Winchester city centre bar has been deferred until the new year.

A lawyer for Moloko Bar described the police actions as unfounded and "malicious".

The police and city council allege the popular bar in The Square is badly managed with evidence of under-age drinking and overcrowding.

Magistrates in Andover yesterday adjourned a decision until a four-day hearing starting on February 14.

Former licensee Jonathan Turpin was recently convicted of selling alcohol to children and fined £3,000, with £225 costs. He has since appealed.

He was acquitted on a further six charges of knowingly selling alcohol to under-18s.

Mr Turpin has recently sold his interest in Moloko to Gillian Heath. Mrs Heath's husband, David Heath, 58, of St Anne Street, Salisbury, was cleared of six counts of knowingly selling alcohol to under-18s.

He told the court that he was a management consultant and had nothing to do with selling drinks.

Kenneth Pain, representing Moloko, said the police bid should never have come before the magistrates: "The application is for the revocation of a licence for Mr Turpin and Mrs Heath and Mr Turpin has nothing more to do with the licence," he said.

Describing the police's bid to strip the bar of its licence as "malicious", Mr Pain added that it could lead to substantial costs.

The case is scheduled to last four days beginning on Monday, February 14. The venue is yet to be confirmed.

After the hearing, Sgt Steve French, of Winchester police, said that even if the licensees had changed he believed the bar was ill-conducted.

Winchester city council licensing chiefs are due tomorrow consider a report recommending the bar's Public Entertainment Licence (PEL) be revoked.

That would prevent the bar from opening into the early hours. The current licensees are Mrs Heath and bar manager James Sawyer.