IT looks like last orders at Hewell Road Social Club after magistrates refused to renew its licence following police complaints about under-age drinking, assaults and scores of fights.

But club secretary John Cullinan said trouble had only started about a year ago when the club began renting out its function room to outside organisers who hosted events there.

He said: "The club has been running for eight years and we had no trouble until we started renting the function room out.

"We stopped doing this a while ago and there's been no trouble since - we won't be renting it out like this in the future.

"The police have talked about the number of under-age drinkers but a lot of this was to do with youngsters buying alcohol at an off-licence, getting drunk and then causing trouble outside the club."

Police licensing officer Pc Nigel Payne said: "Officers from Redditch have had to deal with numerous reports of trouble surrounding the club.

"These include large-scale fights both inside and outside, under-age drinking where youngsters have, at times, been taken quite ill and reports of stolen goods being sold there."

Magistrates turned down the application for a renewed licence despite being shown a petition and letters of support from numerous town charities and groups such as Redditch Welsh Society, Feckenham Football Club and Age Concern, who are sponsored by the club.