Bosses at Yates have spoken out after a decision to suspend their licence.

Earlier today it was announced that the bar would lose its licence till January 31, when a full hearing will be heard to decide the venue's future.

The meeting was held at Reading Borough Council's (RBC) licensing sub-committee this morning after the police requested an urgent hearing following two major incidents on New Year’s Eve and last Saturday.

More than 20 police rushed to the scene as the fight reportedly broke out at New Year's Eve party inside the venue shortly after 2am.

Just days later there was another incident involving 150 'agitated' teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 outside the bar, prompting Thames Valley Police to ask the council to suspend Yates’ licence.

A Yates spokesman said: "We took the decision to voluntarily close the bar earlier in the week and are co-operating with the local licensing teams ahead of a further meeting at the end of the month."

The owners refused to comment on banning urban and drill music.

At the meeting, Stonegate – which runs Yates Reading – said it will ban the playing of “urban and drill genres” at all its venues across the country.

Lawyer Michael Bromley-Martin, representing Stonegate, said: "These were serious events of disorder.

"The only thing that can be said is happily no one was seriously injured and there doesn’t appear to be the use of weapons which is often the case at urban events.

"The urban or drill music clientele has caused this problem.”

Mr Bromley-Martin will not be representing the company at the January 31 meeting as he is defending a drill artist at another hearing.