POLICE have objected to plans to hold a late-night Easter weekender at a Newport venue, ahead of a licensing committee meeting today.

Robert White, the owner of the Atlantica Cafe Bar at Market Street, applied for a temporary order to sell alcohol and provide regulated entertainment between 10am and 6am on April 3, 4, and 5.

Open since September 2013, the two-floor venue currently holds a premise licence under the Licensing Act 2003, which permits the retail of alcohol and entertainment from 10am until 4am on Friday and Saturday and 10am until 3am on Sunday.

Mr White applied for the temporary order on March 19 and also wishes to extend the opening hours of his fast food restaurant, Snack Attack, next door by an extra hour to 5am over the weekend.

Gwent Police, however, are objecting to the temporary event under section 104 of the Licensing Act 2003. In the licensing sub-committee report, the police state that the premises have “recently failed to meet existing premise licence conditions”.

The police also feel that there could be an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour with the extended opening hours.

Mr White said that he "simply" wants to bring his venues in line with other clubs in the area, "who regularly close at 6am on Friday and Saturday nights".

He added: “It’s quite bad for business if we have to shut at normal hours and we just want to take advantage of people being out for the bank holiday.

“Of course, anti-social behaviour can increase the later a venue stays open, but we’ve never had any anti-social behaviour in our venue or outside it. We’re only after an additional hour of serving, until 5am.

“Newport has suffered for a long time and the night economy has kept it going. It’s about working together, not against each other.”

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police declined to comment.