Pubs and clubs will be prevented from opening 24 hours a day under plans by the Home Office to tackle problem drinking. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is to publish a consultation paper that proposes increased powers for local councils to take action in areas plagued by alcohol-influenced crime and disorder. The paper will set out an overhaul of the licensing regime to include a ban on shops selling alcohol at below cost price and a “late-night” levy on some pubs and clubs to contribute towards the additional costs of policing.
There are also moves to give councils and the police greater powers to close permanently those shops or bars that serve children repeatedly. Fines for selling alcohol to those who are underage would be doubled. Local authorities currently have to deal with each licence individually and often find it difficult to identify a specific pub or club at fault. In practice, problems often relate to the cumulative effect of a number of nearby premises staying open late at night. Under the plans, which could be announced as early as next week, councils would be given powers to introduce a ban on drinking after midnight in entire streets or towns.
