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The Champion has existed for 188 years, and has been defended by neighbours as one of the last traditional pubs in the area

A beloved London pub is staring down the barrel of a licence battle after a local complained about "vertical drinking".

The Champion, a staple Notting Hill boozer, was once regarded as one of the capital's top gay destinations.

Despite being the watering hole of choice of legendary British bands like Queen and The Clash, it is now facing a licence review.

The evaluation comes after just one local resident lodged a complaint against the establishment, claiming punters drinking outside were blocking the public highway.

The furious resident has urged Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council to order the pub to force punters to sit down while drinking outside and swap pint glasses for plastic cups.

In a council report, the man fumed: “Patrons regularly congregate outside the premises, generating noise and disturbance for local residents, particularly during evening hours.

“I have raised these concerns directly with staff on multiple occasions and requested that music volumes be reduced and furniture relocated within the permitted area.

The complainant has also claimed smashed glasses had been seen around the area outside the pub.

He continued: “The presence of discarded glassware and broken glass presents a foreseeable risk of injury to children, as are intoxicated individuals blocking the highway.

"My child has previously come close to direct contact with broken glass in the vicinity of the premises."

The Champion is 188 years old and existed long before the neighbour's complaint.

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In total, five people raced to its defence, while just one person supported the review application.

Roberta Licurgo hailed the establishment as "more than just a pub", describing it as a "much-loved local institution".

She also labelled it as "one of the few traditional neighbourhood pubs remaining in Notting Hill Gate".

Ms Licurgo added: “As the area has changed so dramatically over the years, it has remained a welcoming meeting place for local residents and visitors alike, helping to preserve the character and sense of community that once defined the neighbourhood.”

Meanwhile, the pub's general manager, Alexander Nandris, has said that neither occupants living in flats above the boozer had lodged any complaints about activity inside or outside the premises.

In nearby Tory-run Westminster, fury has erupted after the council insisted it will press ahead with its push to restrict vertical drinking.

Westminster City Council had launched a controversial consultation into its new licensing policy earlier this year.

It was seeking views on whether it should continue with its "cumulative impact zone", which would refuse applications for bars and pubs in London's West End except in exceptional circumstances.

The plan means that venues are made responsible for anti-social behaviour or crime across the wider West End, rather than directly outside their premises.

It also said new licences for pubs and bars should be granted to venues with table service rather than those that take orders at the bar, and where patrons sit to drink rather than stand