THE proposed alcohol licensing reforms do not mean that we will suddenly be subjected to 24-hour drinking. Premises will still have to apply for a licence and it will be at the discretion of the local authority to grant the licence.

The authority will be able to stipulate conditions including the time that premises will close and, if considered inappropriate, refuse the licence. Not a free-for-all, as some correspondents seem to imagine.

As for comments such as "Britain is not suited to longer pub hours", can I point out that since 1980 Scotland has led the way with a far more sensible approach in its abolition of closing time?

There are already many pubs in parts of this country which, for many years, have pointedly ignored closing time - and those who frequent them, including myself, have enjoyed many a convivial evening into the small hours.

These establishments are largely ignored by the authorities because they are providing a valued service to many communities and are almost entirely trouble-free.

It would be ludicrous, as well as a waste of taxpayers' money, to arrest, say, 20 people for after hours drinking and charge them with enjoying themselves.

The problem of alcohol-related thuggery is very real. It is possible, in certain bars in York, to buy a pint of vodka for the same price as a couple of pints of beer. A lot of younger people top up with cheap supermarket booze before reaching the city centre.

The most popular drinks are spirit-based or high alcohol lagers amongst this group. This is an issue in itself and really has nothing to do with licensing hours.

Binge drinking exists precisely because of closing time. Reform is long overdue as are the introduction of sensible licensing hours.

Charlie Stone,

Millfield Road,

York.

Updated: 11:37 Wednesday, January 26, 2005