A pub where a customer threatened to gouge out a security guard's eyes has been allowed to open a second floor to drinking and live music.

Brent Council’s alcohol and licensing sub-committee approved the plans submitted by The North London Tavern in Kilburn High Road at a meeting last week (August 15).

The pub, which reopened earlier this month after a month-long refurbishment, had asked to expand its premises licence to the first floor.

Police and residents raised concerns about the plans in submissions to councillors, warning that they could exacerbate excessive noise, fighting and street drinking at the venue.

While approving the application, the licensing committee imposed strict conditions on the venue to try to limit potential impacts.

These included ceasing the sale of alcohol or closing the entire premises on match days at Wembley Stadium if directed by a senior police officer.

Police had previously highlighted that they recorded 27 crimes linked to the venue, “one of the highest figures across the borough for any public house”.

Incidents have included a man threatening someone with a hammer, and a punter attempting to gouge a security guard’s eyes out after his drink was taken from him.

Police also said that there was sometimes a “loss of control” at the venue on match days, with football fans spilling into the street carrying open drink containers.

Conditions now stipulate that the pub must now prevent customers from taking glassware or other open drinks containers outside its pavement area.

Other conditions requested by police and granted by the council included installing CCTV cameras to cover all entrances and exits, the outside seating areas and the interior bars.

Brondesbury Park councillor Erica Gbajumo objected to the proposals.

She said: “Residents living in close proximity to the pub already experience high levels of anti-social behaviour from attendees at the North London.

“If the extension was granted, there is a high probability that their sleep would be interrupted by anti-social behaviour taking place during the early hours.”

In its decision, the licensing committee compelled the pub to regularly monitor the outside smoking areas to ensure they “are not creating any noise nuisance”.

The pub can serve alcohol from 7am until 1am, seven days a week, and until 2am on a Friday and Saturday.

Its live music licence starts at 12pm, ending at 12.30am Sunday to Wednesday, and until 1.30am Thursday to Saturday.

A spokesperson for the North London Tavern told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “As a pub we pride ourselves on being the hub of the community and so are always looking at ways we can better cater to our customers.

"With this extension to our license we will be able to provide the community with a function room upstairs, enabling people to celebrate birthdays, christenings and more at the pub.”