'Harry's club' in trouble with neighbours

The West End nightclub frequented by Prince Harry has been accused of making residents' lives a misery. They say noise and drunken behaviour caused by revellers leaving Pangaea, in Mayfair, leaves them unable to sleep at nights.

In documents submitted to Westminster council, they also allege a rape and a shooting took place in the street, while their doorsteps are frequently covered in urine and vomit.

The exclusive club, where champagne costs up to ?18,000 a bottle, has become the hottest venue in London by attracting stars such as actor Kevin Spacey and models Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. It is part-owned by Mark Alexiou, boyfriend of former bra model Sophie Anderton, and was the scene of a scuffle between Prince Harry and paparazzi last year.

The club disputes it is a bad neighbour and says it has gone to great lengths to ensure pat rons behave when they leave. It claims few of the disturbances can be blamed on the club, which is on the corner of Piccadilly and Clarges Street and stays open until 4am four nights a week.

Yesterday Pangaea's music and dancing licence was renewed by the council, with tough conditions added. Revellers who leave in "a loud or disorderly fashion" are banned from the venue.

Staff must ensure people waiting to get into the club queue in a "quiet and orderly manner", and must seek to "minimise any disturbance to local residents" at all times.

Pangaea opened in 2003 following the success of sister venues in New York and Marbella. Booths cost up to ?3,000.

The club is valued at ? 5million and Mr Alexiou claims it makes ?80,000 profit a week.

He has told the Evening Standard: "We get people like Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and footballers like Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole. We sell Cristal champagne for up to ?18,000 a bottle. There is no club in Europe that makes more money per square foot than Pangaea."

But one man who lives nearby, Paul Wellings-Longmore, gave Westminster's licensing committee a video showing people believed to be Pangaea customers urinating and vomiting in the street.

He compiled the film after being woken repeatedly at 3am and told councillors the behaviour of club members was "absolutely intolerable".

Gordon Speed, chairman of the local residents' association, told the Standard he had to go to bed at 9.30pm to get a few hours' sleep before being woken repeatedly after midnight. He would then sit up drinking camomile tea and take sleeping pills, often not getting back to sleep until 5am.

A report by the council's noise team recorded 48 incidents on 12 March that could be directly attributed to Pangaea - 22 between midnight and 4am. Mr Speed said: "The noise levels are unbelievable." The report added that a number of incidents linked to the club exceeded 80 decibels. World Health Organisation guidelines say 30 decibels is the maximum that allows a "good night's sleep".

But Pangaea director Alberto Barbieri said: "People have to remember they're living in the heart of London."