LIVERPOOL music star Natasha Hamilton spoke last night of her heartbreak after her city centre bar was closed down, after police claimed it had become a meeting place for organised criminals.

The trendy H Bar, in Victoria Street, which has become one of Liverpool’s most celebrity-studded venues, was temporarily closed by the city’s Licensing Committee following a double stabbing on Monday.

H Bar is due to appeal the decision tomorrow morning, but, if they fail, the premises will remain closed until October 1 pending a full review of the licence.

Last night, Atomic Kitten star Natasha, who is in New York recording a new solo album, said she was “gobsmacked” at the prospect of the venue being closed.

“I appeal from the heart to the licensing committee not to take this draconian decision, which we feel is totally unnecessary,” she said.

The singer said the bar had never before had any incidents of violence, and the venue had already taken steps to increase security.

Police were called to the bar, by ambulance staff, shortly after 12.10am on Monday, following the stabbing of two men.

Licensing PC Stuart Moore said door staff initially denied any-thing had taken place inside, and staff had actually mopped up blood by the time police arrived.

One man was stabbed in a bicep and the other twice in a thigh. They made their own way to hospital but so far have refused to co-operate with police.

PC Moore. said: “The premises’ owners have been warned about the calibre of the people using the premises. There are people using the bar who we recognise to be involved in local organised crime.

“The blood had been mopped up significantly, so there was no crime scene to protect, and door staff had been unco-operative.”

He said the police had been met with a “wall of silence” of anyone willing to give a statement about what had happened.

The situation was so serious that an emergency application to close the bar had been applied for.

He added: “Police have concerns there is a likelihood of a further attack if someone wants to get revenge

H Bar was set up just over 10 months ago by Hamilton and her husband, Riad Erraji. Since then, it has become one of the trendiest bars in the city and celebrities including Alex Curran and Jordan frequent the venue.

The couple’s other joint venture – Hamiltons – a restaurant in the nearby Metquarter, is unaffected by the decision.

A spokesman for Natasha put the cleaning up of the blood down to inexperienced staff, and the two men had left despite bar staff hav-ing called an ambulance for them.