City Sports Bar in Canton licence suspended after complaints

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Sports bar
Image caption,
The police listed 19 incidents since July 2012

A sports bar which has attracted a string of complaints from police and residents has had its licence suspended for 10 weeks.

Nineteen incidents of disturbances, assault and damage had been reported to police in less than three years at the City Sports Bar in Canton, Cardiff.

Drugs were also seized in a police raid at the end of March.

The bar has 21 days to appeal the decision, during which time it can remain open.

Cardiff council's licensing sub-committee met for more than five hours on Friday to discuss action.

If the bar fails to appeal, it will have to close for 10 weeks and will have to satisfy a list of conditions if it is to reopen.

This includes having no music or live bands, employing door staff and using plastic glasses on match days.

Supt Stephen Jones, of South Wales Police, applied to councillors to review the licence to prevent crime and disorder, and for public safety.

'Significant action overdue'

There was also evidence of underage drinking and drug use at the upstairs club on Leckwith Road, said Supt Jones's report to councillors.

Incidents going back to 2012 included pool cues and balls being used in a disturbance with a man knocked unconscious, and a group of football fans outside being attacked by a group from inside the club.

Drug dealing was twice caught on CCTV inside the club, according to police.

Council pollution control officers also said there had been "continued complaints" about noise from residents despite a change in management.

The council's licensing sub-committee also received a petition from neighbours and letters of objection.

They included complaints of rowdy behaviour and drunkenness and claims residents in adjoining Church Road were unable to sit out in their gardens because of the noise.

One described "numerous problems with the club in recent years," while another added it was "long overdue that significant action is taken".