A SOUTHAMPTON nightclub at the centre of a series of violent incidents including stabbings, a mass brawl and drugs offences could be forced to close, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Junk has been at the scene of a string of nearly 50 incidents in just 15 months which resulted in police being called to the busy nightspot.

Now the club could lose its licence as officers mount a probe into the venue calling for council chiefs to call time on its management.

But a boss insisted the club has made a raft of improvements and claimed their venue in "one of the safest" in the city.

He called on police and Southampton City Council to unite with clubs to tackle crime more robustly.

It comes after council licensing chiefs shut down the Shield and Dagger pub in Shirley after a brawl in which a man was left unconscious.

As reported by the Daily Echo on Saturday, the pub was already facing having its licence removed after a string of incidents of violence but officers issued an emergency closure notice until a hearing on April 20.

The Daily Echo has seen a report by Hampshire police which says they launched an investigation to begin reviewing Junk's licence following a series flashpoints which included two men being stabbed outside the London Road club.

The dossier reveals 48 separate incidents between January 2015 and March this year - including 23 assaults, four drugs offences and 12 antisocial behaviour and six public order offences.

Officers also investigated a rape allegation which was later found to be "unsubstantiated", the report says.

As previously reported two men received stab wounds and a third was injured shortly before 4am during its Rum and Coke night on Friday, January 22.

One customer was attacked with a belt and received puncture wounds to his stomach and arm while being attacked outside the venue, while a second victim was stabbed five times, with police saying one wound was close to his spinal cord, the report says.

The third victim was found with a head wound and told police he had been assaulted inside.

Daily Echo:

PICTURED: A sign outside the nightclub

Police arrested one man in Hampshire heading northbound on the M3.

The club was closed for 24 hours but reopened afterwards after Southampton Magistrates' Court refused the force's application for a closure notice at a hearing the following day.

But the report reveals that since then police claim they have established that the men were injured following a fight involving up to 30 people at 3.45am before the brawling parties were kicked out and the fight continued outside when the two were stabbed - one a short distance away.

They say another suspect - seen on CCTV wearing a red hooded jacket - is known to the Metropolitan Police's Westminster Gangs Unit and the report claims he entered the club unchallenged for identification.

The report claims management had "deflected responsibility" for the stabbing incident on to another venue.

Officers called for Junk's licence to be revoked, or to replace the entire management team, designated premises supervisor (DPS), slash its opening hours from 4am to 2am and improve CCTV coverage, ID scanning and logging of incidents.

It continued: "With the venue currently operating under the present management, within an extremely busy Cumulative Impact area, the management are not strong enough."

But club director and DPS, Wes Leigh said management are cooperating with police added: "We have made improvements and done everything the police have asked and above and beyond. We are now one of the safest venues in Southampton."

He claimed someone involved in the stabbing had earlier been seen in another venue and added: "It was a horrible incident but we have done all we can.

"We need to be able to work closer with police and the council instead of them working against us."

City council licensing chairman Councillor Matt Tucker confirmed a review was under way with the public able to comment until Monday, April 11 before a hearing to declare the club's fate takes place before Thursday, May 5.

Police said that six men were arrested and bailed in connection with the stabbings aged 26, 19 and two 21-year-olds from London, a 22-year-old from Southampton and a 21-year-old from Milton Keynes arrested on suspicion offences ranging from wounding and GBH with intent to affray.

They have been bailed until between April 7 and 12.