Sleepless residents have claimed victory in a battle to stop a Wimbledon town centre bar from opening until 2am.

The prospect of drunks vomiting and urinating in front gardens were among the concerns expressed by those objecting to Henry J Bean's bid for extended opening hours.

Police and Merton Council also joined forces to oppose the application in front of the borough’s licensing sub committee last week.

Speaking on behalf of residents in Trinity Ward, Councillor David Dean, said: “It just doesn’t make sense that hundreds of people should be allowed out of premises at 2.30am when there’s no public transport and nowhere to go.

“They urinate in the public realm, they urinate in people’s gardens and the indulge in criminal activity. Residents just can’t cope anymore.”

Merton police’s licensing sergeant, Pete Sparham, told the committee 22 crimes associated with the bar had been reported in the last year, although he did say the bar was well run.

He said: “This isn’t a question of how Henry Bean's is run but whether Wimbledon town centre can handle additional drinking hours in any its bars. I don’t think it can."

A solicitor for the bar said: “We make no bones about the fact that there are commercial reasons for us applying for the extra hour, but we have thought this through incredibly carefully.

“We’ve found that our customers are going elsewhere in the Broadway to continue their night at places that don’t operate as responsibly as we do. This might actually reduce the number and noise of people walking through the town centre in the early hours.

"Henry Bean's isn’t the sort of venue that’s going to attract young people who drink too much.”