THOUSANDS of visitors to one of the main hubs of York's night life will soon be able to drink and dance even later.

Licensing chiefs have given the go-ahead for bosses at Nexus and McMillans to open their doors until 3.30am at weekends.

The two clubs, which face each other across Rougier Street, and serve 6,000 customers every week in an area known as "The Square", will stop serving alcohol 30 minutes earlier.

Manager Peter Brownsword said it was the "next step" for one of the city's liveliest night-time destinations.

He said: "The landscape is changing for clubs and bars, and this change is a positive thing for everybody.

"The impact on York of the night-time economy is often overlooked. This will enable us to thrive into the long term."

The decision came less than a fortnight after a landmark ruling allowed nearby Toffs nightclub to open its doors until 4am, seven days a week.

Some residents fiercely objected to the changes, which they feared would increase late-night noise, nuisance and drink-fuelled violence.

Andrew Clark, of Tanner Row, who complained of late-night fighting and vandalism, said the decision was "ludicrous" before storming out of the meeting.

The Labour group leader on City of York Council, Dave Merrett, who has been a Micklegate ward councillor for 26 years, said the area had "major problems" with crime.

He said one elderly resident had had her living room window smashed twice in the past five years by drunken clubbers.

"You can hear the roar from this area at night as you come down from the station through the city walls," he said.

"There are people shouting and screaming their heads off. It's a problem that needs sorting out before later licences are considered."

But the Guildhall licensing meeting heard from acoustics expert Tony Charles, who monitored late-night street noise last weekend.

He said that up to 2am the average noise recording was 70 decibels, equivalent to a noisy department store interior, which was typical for a busy city centre street.

He added that at 2.15am the noise level peaked at 92 decibels, the equivalent of industrial activity, probably because of a noisy car exhaust.

Mr Brownsword said that £600,000 had been spent refurbishing McMillans last year, and much of the money had been spent on soundproofing.

The meeting heard that an estimated 157 residents lived around the nightspots, which opened in the mid-1990s.

Bosses have agreed to employ street marshals to help people get home quickly and quietly, liaise with police and to pick up litter.

From November 24, when the new licensing act comes in to force, Nexus and McMillans will be able to serve alcohol until 3am on Friday and Saturday. On the remaining days of the week they will close at 2.30am.

Updated: 10:10 Wednesday, August 31, 2005