A pub was shut down by police and eight people arrested after a brawl which spilled out on to the street.

Police closed The Standard in West Street, Brighton, for 24 hours in the early hours of Sunday morning to prevent further violence.

A number of men were involved in two or three fights inside the venue before staff managed to move them outside and alerted other pubs and the police to the problem using the Pubwatch radio system.

The men continued fighting outside the pub until police arrived.

Eight men were arrested and held overnight.

All are local and aged in their 20s. Police said one of them was a doorman at the pub.

About 300 people drinking in the pub when the fights broke out were ushered out of the building after the arrests at about 12.30am.

Inspector Simon Starns, from Sussex Police, said the men had not not used any weapons or thrown any bottles and that no one had suffered serious injuries or required hospital or ambulance treatment.

However, several people suffered bruises and cut lips and a police officer was sprayed in the face with an unknown substance while trying to arrest a man who had assaulted a woman during the skirmish.

Mr Starns said officers had no choice but to close the premises.

He said: "The level of disorder was such that senior officers felt there was a threat of further violence. If we think there is impending or serious violence, we will close the pub to protect the public."

He said the 24-hour closure notice was part of new police powers introduced in November to curb drunk and disorderly behaviour and encourage pubs to be more responsible for their customers.

In December, officers closed the Northern Tavern in Ditchling Road, Brighton, after a fight involving more than 20 people.

Mr Starns said: "The pubs and clubs in West Street take between £3,000 and £20,000 in the last couple of hours of the night so this will have a significant financial impact on The Standard, which we hope will lead to more responsible management in the future."

A spokeswoman from The Spirit Group, which owns The Standard, said: "The safety of our customers is of the utmost importance to us. Therefore, the doorman in question will no longer be working at The Standard and we will continue to work with the police to ensure we operate at the highest standard."

A spokesman from the Heist bar in West Street said the road had an ingrained culture of heavy drinking and low-level fighting but the new licensing laws, allowing extended opening hours, were helping.

He said: "West Street is never going to change completely but we have noticed people are a lot more relaxed here.

"The money we take is spread out much more evenly throughout the night."

Staff at Yates's agreed the new laws were an asset.

A spokeswoman said: "People are not trying to binge drink, they are conserving themselves."

Another police officer was injured as he tried to arrest a man following an incident in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Old Steine, Brighton.

The officer sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, but it is believed he was released after minor treatment.