A Winchester bar is facing a fight for survival as city police today attempt to snatch away its licence at a special hearing.

Then on Friday Moloko Bar faces a bid by Winchester City Council to revoke its Public Entertainment Licence (PEL) that allows the bar in The Square to open into the early hours.

Its first challenge is from the police who are applying to shut the bar at a hearing at Andover Magistrates' Court today.

On Friday the council licensing and regulation committee is being urged not to renew the PEL.

Both the police and council are unhappy with the management of the bar and say that licence conditions are unlikely to be complied with.

Last month former co-licensee Jonathan Turpin was convicted of six counts of selling alcohol to children in November 2003.

Mr Turpin, of Broughton, Stockbridge, is appealing against conviction and has told the Daily Echo that he has sold his interest in the bar to co-licensee Gillian Heath.

Det Sgt Steve French, of Winchester police, said the police application would in effect close down the bar until its operators persuade magistrates that it had introduced the necessary changes.

Meanwhile a city council report said the council objects to a renewal of the public entertainment licence by Mrs Heath and manager James Sawyer.

The existing permitted hours of entertainment are Mondays to Wednesday until midnight; Thursday to 1am; Fridays until 2am, Saturday to 1am and Sundays, 11pm.

If the PEL is revoked the opening hours will revert to Mondays to Saturday to 11pm and Sunday to 10.30pm.

Police observations on February 13 revealed that 335 people were inside when the permitted number is 250.

Between January 1 and October 23 some 45 crimes were directly linked to Moloko, seven involving people aged under 18 years.

The council report also included a statement given to police from former assistant manager Adam Broomfield.

He said David Heath, the then co-owner, brushed aside the issue of under-age drinking on more than one occasion "by stating that he could have ten per cent underage in the bar and it was not an issue for them."

Mr Broomfield added: "I feel I was only on the licence as a convenience for Turpin and (Mr) Heath and they have used the premises as their own private party and bent and broke the licensing rules to suit themselves."

Mr Broomfield then retracted his statement. However in a statement given in September Mr Broomfield said it was to stop Moloko suing him: "Moloko were taking civil action against me. Mr Heath told me the action was being taken to discredit my name because I provided a statement against Moloko.

"David Heath went on to say that it would not be necessary to continue with the action if my statement was not given in evidence in court. I indicated I would be happy to withdraw my statement if the legal proceedings against me were withdrawn.

"I withdrew the statement to avoid civil action being brought against me, for matters still unknown to me, by Moloko."

Mr Heath, when contacted by the Daily Echo last night, said: "I never had any dealings with him (Mr Broomfield) at all. I don't think I should be discussing this with you."