A saucy bar name which raised concern among police has been ditched after the venue remained almost empty every night.

Chas and Azwar Majeed opened the Soixante Neuf bar in Pool Valley, Brighton, last December, despite warnings the name could offend people.

However, the venue struggled so badly to tempt revellers, they closed it within six weeks and have taken down all the old signs.

The venue will reopen tonight as The Music Library and will no longer be a gay bar.

It has been given a licence to serve alcohol until 1am. Soixante Neuf was only licensed until 11pm.

Chris Beach, one of the general managers, insisted the name-change had nothing to do with the controversy.

Staff always insisted Soixante-Neuf was chosen to refer to the year 1969 in a "classy" French way rather than any sexual practice.

Mr Beach instead blamed the previous failure to win a late licence for a 340-capacity venue.

He said: "If you look at the place, it's not really suitable as just a bar. You wouldn't go in there for just a few drinks before heading on to a club.

"It was disappointing for people that we had to shut at 11pm.

"It was really quiet every night. We were struggling.

"We had trouble getting promoters in and those who did consider us wanted too much money.

"It was too much aggravation so we closed down for a bit.

"Chas and Azwar came up with the new name because they wanted to make it clear this was a new place, different from Soixante Neuf.

"It has been frustrating going through the legal wrangles for a licence, changing all the signs and giving the place a new lick of paint.

"We would have liked a 2am licence but the public entertainments licence until 1.30am is at least better than before."

Mr Beach said the music would be mixed, with regular R & B nights on Fridays and a session by former Escape Club regulars Everyday People tomorrow.

Soixante Neuf opened on December 19 after winning a temporary licence until February.

Sussex Police licensing officer Alan Whitehead told a licence hearing before Brighton magistrates: "We do think the name is perhaps not suitable."

However, his fellow licensing officer Kareen Plympton later insisted they were not demanding a name change, merely pointing out potential concerns people might raise.

The venue is the Majeed brothers' fourth in Sussex, following Saqqara in Brighton, Barcena in Burgess Hill and Ja Ja Bar in Crawley.