A Sutton nightclub once the scene of serious gang violence is to reopen under new owners.

Kinetic, in Cheam Road, when called Love2Love, closed after a shooting in September 2008 involving two of south London's most notorious gangs.

A fight had broken out inside between Mitcham-based gang Terror Zone (TZ) and Wandsworth based Stick Up Kids (SUK), who began fighting with belts as weapons, before Sachmo Quain took out a gun and started firing.

Now the venue is to be transformed into a "Alice in Wonderland style" bar and club called Wonder Land aimed at mature clubbers.

It was bought in the Spring by No Saints Limited - who plan to open the club in September.

Stevie Thomas, the company's marketing manager, said: "We want to give something to Sutton that will be totally new.

"The concept is based on the darker side of Alice in Wonderland, there will be large mushrooms and twisted clocks. We want to serve drinks out of top hats and mix drinks that make crackling noises."

The downstairs club area, called The Bizarre, will feature weird and wonderful acts like contortionists and acrobats, and the club is looking for performers to come forward from the area.

Mr Thomas added: "It will be a place for groups of friends to meet and mingle. It won't be people downing VKs in a meat market."

The upstairs "Wonder Lounge" bar area will be open five nights a week.

The 1,100 person venue has most recently been used as a secondhand book club.

The new venture has Sutton Council's support Councillor Graham Tope, the council's executive member for community safety, leisure and libraries, said: “The operators say that the venue is aimed at a more mature clientele and will bring live music and entertainment to the centre of Sutton.

"It’s a kind of venue which hasn’t been seen in Sutton before, and is a completely different operation to the Kinetic nightclub that previously used the premises."

There are 48 conditions on the club's licence. Its application received no objections.