Brown to review drinking laws

Updated 10.08 Wed Jul 25 2007

Keywords: crime, 24 hour, alcohol, drinking, Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown is to rethink Britain's drinking laws amid fears that 24-hour opening has led to a rise in booze-fuelled crime and disorder.

The reformed licensing laws were introduced by the Government in November 2005 against heavy opposition, arguing that 24-hour drinking would help reduce crime by ending the surge out of pubs at closing time.

A Home Office report has shown that offences of assault, criminal damage and harassment between 3am and 6am rose sharply in the 12 months after the reforms were brought in

A Home Office report has shown that offences of assault, criminal damage and harassment between 3am and 6am rose sharply in the 12 months after the reforms were brought in.

Some 940,522 violent crimes, cases of disorder and criminal damage occurred between 6pm to 6am in the year to November 2006, up 7,000 on the previous 12 months.

The Home Office will deliver the review results at the end of this year.

It is likely that councils worst hit by binge drinking will be made to turn down licences for new pubs and to cut hours.