ANGELO'S nightclub is appealing against a decision to shut it down for two months.

The club in Fleet Street was described as one of the most dysfunctional in Britain by Swindon council officers, and was handed the closure order last month.

However, the order was put on hold until the club had the chance to lodge an appeal. Now the punishment will be lifted if the appeal is successful, and will only come into effect after the hearing.

The papers for the appeal were lodged with Swindon Council on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Angelo Rossi, who owns the nightclub, said: "Angelo gladly announces to his customers that Angelo's Night Club is open as usual all through the holidays and after.

"He would like to take the opportunity to thank his customers for their support and requests that they keep their composure and collaborate with the police and door staff by observing their requirements.

"They are only there to make the town centre a more enjoyable place to be."

Jon Payne from Horsey Lightly Fynn solicitors said that the appeal hearing was likely to be held in the new year.

He said that Mr Rossi believed that the club had been unfairly treated by the council and police reports into alleged trouble.

Mr Payne said: "Mr Rossi is taking the point that certainly the majority of the complaints or issues that the police raised are not due to his premises or his mismanagement. He operates in a responsible way.

"His premises is at the end of the street and people tend to relate to it as they come past."

Swindon Council's licensing committee heard last month that Angelo's had been linked to 111 emergency calls since the start of the year. Its door staff were slated for admitting troublemakers banned from other pubs under the Pubwatch scheme, and not stopping fights.

l The Government revealed yesterday that in the 12 months up to March 31 this year 90 premises nationwide had their licences revoked and 91 had them suspended for three months.