A bar where police claimed late night violence was endemic is to have its opening hours cut after a brawl outside left one man with a fractured skull.

Councillors imposed the restriction after watching shocking CCTV footage of the fight outside the Grand Union pub, in Twickenham.

It showed one of the attackers stamping on a man’s head as he lay in the road, fracturing his skull.

It was just one of a string of alleged crimes, including assault and theft, at the London Road pub over the past year.

The pub’s legal team had argued a cut in opening hours was “disproportionate” and said the venue had since cleaned up its act.

Sergeant David George, of Richmond police, told Richmond Council’s licensing sub-committee, as they watched footage of the brawl: “The fight breaks out across the whole of the road, there are probably 15 men fighting. One of the men is repeatedly punched in the head and falls to the floor - he is unable to get up.

“A man with a checked shirt stamps on his head twice and the man remains motionless on the floor, in the middle of the main road.”

Passengers on a 281 bus saw the attack after the driver was forced to brake to avoid the men, while residents watched in horror from their windows.

Officers arrested and interviewed three men, aged 22, 23 and 25, on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm before bailing them until May 9.

Police refused a request from the Richmond and Twickenham Times to release the CCTV footage because they are still investigating.

The fight erupted outside the HSBC bank at about 1.50am on March 12 after some of the group spilled out of the Grand Union.

Samantha Drew, of London Road, said: “We had my mother-in-law staying at that time. She was very upset and traumatised.”

Solicitor Matthew Phipps, representing the Grand Union Group (GUG), said: “Essentially to reduce the hours of this business we say is very disproportionate on the basis that they had been in the premesis earlier. We say that’s not a fair or reasonable conclusion.”

But the committee ruled on Monday the Grand Union, which had been allowed to stay open until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, must close at midnight.

Police claimed late night violence was a “hallmark” of the bar and listed 21 incidents since June last year that had raised concern, including a drunk 17-year-old girl allegedly hitting a customer over the head with a fire extinguisher.

Sgt George also said in a statement a drinker smashed a pint glass into another man’s face causing “horrific injuries” on August 21 last year and pub staff “significantly hampered” a rape investigation by taking 19 days to give CCTV to police.

Police accused the bar’s managers of being “incompetent” and claimed the pub constantly broke the law by selling alcohol to customers who were already drunk.

But Mr Phipps said: “Once managers became aware of the issues - and there is an issue of them not knowing - they have done their best to improve matters.”

He added the previous manager had left.

Adam Saword, GUG operations director, gave a personal guarantee to neighbours his team would do all they could to tackle their complaints.