The Irish News revealed a list of pub and nightclub crime hotspots in Northern Ireland

Thompsons topped a list of hotspots for crime surrounding pubs and nightclubs across Northern Ireland.

Statistics obtained by The Irish News last year revealed that more than 250 crimes were recorded by the PSNI in or around the central Belfast venue during 2014 and 2015.

Kellys nightclub in Portrush came second on the list with nearly 190 crimes in the vicinity, while Belfast's Limelight was third with almost 150 incidents.

Thompsons has also been referenced in several court cases down the years.

Earlier this month two men were convicted for a racist attack on a man as they left Thompsons on a night out last Christmas.

A man was jailed in 2013 for trying to sexually assault a woman at knifepoint after meeting her outside the club.

Last Sunday Ards footballer Gary Warwick (25) suffered a fractured skull after being assaulted outside Thompsons in the early hours.

A court also heard last week that two men convicted over the hit-and-run death of Enda Dolan in 2014 had visited Thompsons after drinking in Lavery's bar.

They left the nightclub at 2.20am and less than 10 minutes crashed into the 18-year-old on the Malone Road.

The owners of Thompsons have strongly defended the club, saying it is in a busy location near several bars and most incidents happen outside of the premises.

Overall more than 11,200 crimes were recorded by the PSNI in the past three years in and around the north's nightspots. Violent crimes including assaults made up just over half of incidents.