POLICE will appeal a council decision to keep a pub open.

On Monday Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing committee turned down Sussex Police’s request to temporarily close down Bulldog in St James’s Street, Brighton.

Officers were concerned by the levels of crime connected to the venue but the council committee instead chose to amend its licensing hours so it has to stop serving earlier and close at 1am on weekdays and 2am at the weekends.

City commander chief superintendent Nev Kemp was disappointed by the decision and believes the committee “failed to take the opportunity to sufficiently improve the safety of people attending Bulldog.”

He said: “We had initially sought revocation of the pub's licence, but following that request we had further meetings with the owner, where he said that he was willing to make improvements to the way the premises was run.

"I felt it appropriate to ask the committee to consider a number of changes aimed at keeping people safe, instead of revoking the licence completely.

"I did not want Bulldog to close, but I do want it to become a far safer place than it has been for too long now and I believe that without substantial improvements to the way in which it is run, it also has the potential of damaging the reputation of other licensed premises in the Kemp Town area, which I do not want to see either.”