Plans to open Strattons nightclub in Abingdon on Sunday nights are running into strong opposition.

The town council is against the proposal, and one local resident says the prospect "fills people with horror".

Owner Martin Stephens has applied to open the club, in Ock Street, from 9pm on Sunday night until 12.30am the following morning. On Bank Holiday Mondays, the club would stay open until 2am. The Vale of White Horse District Council and the police have already received complaints about the proposals.

The council's licensing sub-committee will discuss the nightclub's plans at its next meeting in early June, when the police will outline their views.

The new mayor of Abingdon, Audrey Tamplin, said: "The town council's planning committee will be recommending that the licensing committee rejects the application.

"It is not that we are killjoys. Young people need to have a place for entertainment, but we need Sundays to be kept different.

"Many local residents complain of trouble from people coming out of the nightclub at weekends. Opening on Sunday nights, in my view, would be unneighbourly and inconsiderate."

One town centre resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The prospect of Strattons opening on Sunday nights fills us with horror. It's bad enough being subjected to vandalism and rowdyism most Saturday and Sunday mornings, so the prospect of yet another period of trouble, late on Sunday night, is appalling.

"I hope the licensing committee pays more heed to the views of the police this time, than they did when they approved the late opening of the chip shop." There was strong police opposition, last month, when the licensing sub-committee allowed the shop in The Square to stay open until 1.30am.

Officers, who have had to call in reinforcements to deal with gangs of drunken youths most weekends, called the area a "honeypot" for young people.

Two weeks ago a fight broke out in the nightclub and spilled out on to the street. One police officer suffered a knee injury, and is still off work.

Another policeman was injured during fighting outside the nightclub on Saturday night after being called to a disturbance involving a group of youths.

Insp Robin Rickard, of Abingdon police, said they were studying the nightclub's application.

He said: "At this stage it would be wrong to predict the position the police will take until I am in possession of all the facts, and suitable evidence to present to the licensing panel."