A late-night troublespot faces a raft of strict new controls after a massive brawl at a joint 18th birthday party.

The Water Margin in Middle Street, Brighton, has had its licence suspended for the last two weeks following a near-riot.

Police and rowdy customers fought running battles in the streets after a fire alarm forced 150 drunk partygoers out of the bar.

Five officers were surrounded by 20 hooligans and pelted with bottles and cans.

They batoned the crowd to move them away and set a police dog on one man.

Up to 30 officers were involved at the height of the 90 minutes of violence that followed, which spilled into North Street, Duke Street, West Street, Western Road and Churchill Square.

Sussex Police licensing officers say the door staff lost control of the venue early in the evening of February 22, when underage drinkers swapped proof of age to get inside and get served.

The venue had told door staff to expect an 21st birthday party - but instead had to deal with a joint 18th birthday for four boys.

One of the boys’ families reportedly accused staff of deliberately starting a fire alarm to clear the bar and both the mother and father attacked reportedly attacked workers.

A manager at security firm Sassco, which was running the door, has supplied a statement to the panel saying: “The staff acted impeccably and showed remarkable composure in the face of a disgusting display of aggression by all of the partygoers.”

Sergeant Simon Brown, who led the police on the ground, said: “The vast majority of all individuals I engaged with during this incident were significantly affected by excess consumption of alcohol.”

Police are now asking councillors to slap a series of restrictions on the bar before it can reopen.

The recommendations on the agenda for a licensing review panel next Tuesday include bringing closing time forward from 5am to 2am every day, with no admission after 1am.

Police want only plastic glasses to be used and are demanding the ‘designated premises supervisor’, who is responsible for making sure the bar obeys licensing conditions, and that Sassco be replaced as the bar’s security firm.

No-one from Inn Brighton, which runs the Water Margin, was available for comment yesterday.