A NEW city nightclub has promised to clear up any sick in the street nearby after being allowed to stay open longer despite criticism from neighbouring traders.

Traders have complained about constantly having to clean up broken bottles and vomit in New Street at the weekends.

Labyrinth, which opened in the former Alexander’s nightclub in New Street last month, had its plan to extend its opening hours to 4.15am every day backed by Worcester City Council’s licensing subcommittee.

Councillors said they were “impressed” and “reassured” by the bid having discussed the proposal with nightclub owners Epic Bars and Clubs at a meeting in the Guildhall on Wednesday (September 7).

Rebecca Arnold from Epic Bars and Clubs said: “We will obviously clean the area outside of our business at the end of the night.

“If there was any vomit or anything in someone’s door over the road, or any bottles we will, even though they could not be ours, we’ll collect and clean up that mess and do our best.”

Traders in New Street complained about the mess left behind in the city centre’s cobbled streets by revellers leaving clubs and bars in the early hours of the morning which they feared would be made worse by allowing the city’s newest club to open longer.

Shop owners, who also complained about having to constantly clean up broken bottles, glasses and vomit, described the smell in the alleyway and some of New Street’s shop entrances as “disgusting” after busy weekends.

Cllr Lucy Hodgson, who chaired the meeting of the council’s licensing subcommittee, said the complaints about late-night vandalism and anti-social behaviour in New Street were part of a wider problem in the city centre rather than solely the fault of the new Labyrinth nightclub.

“We are very sympathetic to the concerns of the residents in the area, but we are conscious that the concerns are to the general night-time economy rather than your specific premises,” she said.

West Mercia Police held discussions with bosses at Labyrinth over its concerns that a 4.30am closing time, which it had originally planned to ask for, would add to the risk of drunken disorder and anti-social behaviour with other people leaving nearby clubs at the same time.