A NIGHTCLUB which had its opening hours slashed after two men were shot outside has had the changes overturned in the High Court.

It means Ealing councillors will need look again at CJ’s night club underneath The Black George pub in Uxbridge Road, West Ealing, on Wednesday (June 5).

The owner says it had been ‘effectively closed down’ by opening restrictions imposed on it in October 2011.

Police sought to revoke CJ’s licence after a drive-by shooting outside its doors the previous month. Officers highlighted submissions by 18 residents complaining about the noise and intimidation by clubbers, two thirds of them calling for the venue’s licence to be revoked. They included heads of resident associations and politicians.

Councillors cut the club’s opening hours from 4am to 2am but the pub’s were unchanged.

Owner of both venues Radomir Grkovic, said this was unfair. He said: “They put too much weight on letters from residents, mainly from one block (Lovelace House). They say there were large fights that lasted for an hour and a half or two hours and the police didn’t come. That just didn’t happen.”

Police listed the 10 times they were called to the Black George or CJ’s between January and September 2011 to deal with incidents ranging from a stolen handbag to a stabbing.

Mr Grkovic said: “There were incidents but they happen all the time in different bars and clubs. We’re a victim of the area. It’s riddled with crime and drugs.”

Although he said holding events which attracted the kind of customers involved in the shooting was a mistake and he wants the nightclub to focus on live music instead if it reopens.

The high court decided councillors had not given a strong enough reason for slashing the club’s hours.

Police said they were disappointed and would be bringing new evidence from since the time of the last hearing.

Ealing and Acton MP Angie Bray is also still calling for the licence to be revoked.

She said: “Residents are very clear it has been a frequent source of trouble and fights. I understand a businessman has to make his case and I’m not saying there shouldn’t be another hearing but they have to stop trying to downplay the problems that have clearly existed in the past.

“I had a lot of residents asking for my support and I still say they had their chance and they blew it.”