A popular venue which has hosted live bands for more than 100 years has closed after claiming it was effectively given a “ban on playing music”.

Blind Tiger Club in Grand Parade, Brighton, held its last ever event this weekend after bosses were served with a nuisance notice from Brighton and Hove City Council.

In a statement on its website the club claims complaints were first made about a year ago about noise from the club, which is open until 2am on Friday and Saturdays and 1am on Sundays.

Nobody from the club was available for comment last night, but a statement posted on the Blind Tiger website on Friday said complaints about the noise were acted upon “swiftly and informally”, cutting “volume or bass from certain performances” and gave the complainant a 24-hour contact number.

The statement continued: “However, our best proved inadequate to stop the complaints.”

Club bosses said they were warned by town hall chiefs last week the venue would be taken to court and face a fine of up to £20,000 if the resident was disturbed by noise again.

The statement concluded: “With the time to fight about to completely run out, on the last working day before the music ban is due to come into force, we are finally giving up - and we can finally talk about it.

“We believe we have now exhausted all our options and must finally concede defeat in the face of the music ban.

“This weekend will have to be The Blind Tiger Club's very last. By order of the law.”

The Blind Tiger is on the site of the old Norfolk Arms, built as a public house in the early Victorian period, and has been hosting live music for more than 100 years.

The closure brings the club's three-year tenure at the site to an abrupt end, having previously been home to Hector's House.

A petition appealing the council's noise order on the club has already collected more than 5,500 signatures.

To view or sign the petition, visit www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/brighton-and-hove-city-council-repeal-the-noise-abatement-notice-served-to-the-blind-tiger-club.