SOUTHAMPTON'S "only gay night club" has become the first pub or club in the city to win a full 5am alcohol licence.

Councillors approved the application by owners of The Edge after they struck a deal with the police.

The Compton Walk club, which was refurbished last year, is open all week, except Mondays, playing a mix of music from high energy dance to camp pop tunes.

It was given an extension to serve alcohol and play music until 5am on Sunday mornings, closing at 5.30am.

The over 21s club, which opened 11 years ago, already had a licence to sell alcohol until 3am.

A next door resident with young children objected to the application claiming it would increase noise from "people socialising" until the early hours and from cars and taxis dropping off and picking up as many as 150 waiting clubbers.

Solicitor Jane Walker, for The Edge, said the club had already opened until 5am 23 times under temporary licences and there had been no "incidents" reported to the police or council.

"It's a fair track record that we can operate until this time in the morning without incident," she said.

"We're in a unique position here because we've had some trial runs and they have worked."

She said opening later would reduce the number of clubbers leaving at once, adding around 50 were left by 5am.

Councillors were told clubbers were given lollipops to help keep them quiet when they left the club and taxis were ordered by the club.

Police agreed to remove an objection after the club agreed there would be no new entry after 3am, that high visibility jackets would be worn by door supervisors and that only high-end non-shatter plastic glasses would be used - something the club had already introduced with the exception of wine glasses.

Granting the 5am licence, licensing panel chairman Councillor Gerry Drake said the application set a "benchmark" of good practice for other clubs and pubs waiting to extend their hours.

8:25am Monday 1st September 2008

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