Several gay nightclubs and bars on and around Sydney's Oxford Street are fighting a 2am lock-out rule to be enforced next month to fight crime in what police say is a violent area of town, reports the Sydney Star Observer.

The owners and licensees of gay hotspots Arq, Stonewall and the Exchange and Oxford hotels have sought an urgent meeting with New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees to appeal the decision which they say will backfire, leading to more violence after 2am as crowds search for other places to go.

High-profile anti-gay bashings along Oxford Street have prompted moves to toughen up on crime in the area. Police statistics show one venue reported an assault once every two weeks.

This story continues in the Sydney Star Observer, linked below.