Objectors fear an application to increase opening hours at a student bar could lead to rising crime in an area already afflicted by anti-social behaviour.

The University of Kent wants to increase standard opening hours at Cargo Bar in Gillingham from 7am until 11pm to 7am until midnight, and has requested a change in conditions to open until 5am on no more than 10 days per year, but some residents fear this could fuel drunkenness and loutish behaviour.

The university states the “modest” increase in normal hours would “allow for better service to customers and the dispersal of patrons in the evening” - and that opening occasionally until 5am is to allow international sporting events to be shown on TV.

“Experience has shown that the current allowance of 50 days when the premises can operate until 1am in each academic year is not required,” states the application. “While we are pleased that there has been no problem with regard to neighbours with the condition, it is not needed.

“However, the premises has a loyal following of supporters of world sports including baseball, American football and basketball. We would wish therefore to replace the current condition with one that allows, on a maximum of only 10 days in the academic year, the ability to operate until 5am – this to allow the live broadcast of sport from across the globe.”

Among those opposing the plan is Stuart Roberts, who lives in Leslie Road, who wrote to the council, saying: “longer licensed hours and the thought of 24-hour drinking are abhorrent to those in the area. We already have enough issues in the local area with drunk students and members of the public.

“The area in question has an already large crime rate for anti-social behaviour and increased drinking hours would just encourage more anti-social behaviour.”

James Graffham wrote: “When I get disturbed it is normally in the middle of the night. And it is loud drunken students and females screaming plus it can be the odd local on Pier Road.

“According to the police annual crime figures in this area, it has the highest rate of unsociable behaviour in the county.”

While it is true that the latest figures from Kent Police show Gillingham North to have had among the highest rates of reported crime in Kent, with 309 reports in April this year, more reports within the neighbourhood come from the High Street and the town centre.

Nevertheless, outside of the town centre, the area around Blake Avenue, which is the nearest street to Cargo Bar with recorded figures, does suffer from a higher number of crimes than surrounding areas, with 11 reports in April, 15 reports in March, 16 reports in February, and eight in January, and anti-social behaviour is the most commonly reported crime.