OH how I laughed when I saw the joke headline in Saturday's Evening Press, "York Uni Wins Late-Bar Fight".

However, on reading the article, and to my growing incredulity, I realised that it wasn't a joke headline at all but was genuine and that the University of York have "won" the right to open all its bars until 2am six days a week and midnight on Sundays.

I thought, obviously wrongly, that York University was a place of learning and the people who were fortunate to gain places therein would be only interested in furthering their education and studying would be the order of the day.

To have the temptation, and encouragement of the university itself (proven by their applying for late opening of the bars), to flout evening studying and go out drinking seems counter-productive to this end.

Can we assume, because York University is encouraging late-night drinking for students, there is now a degree course in the "binge drinking" we read and hear so much about, and the reason for the late-night opening is so that students can carry out on-the-spot research for their theses?

Surely, there cannot be any sane reason for it!

Philip Roe,

Roman Avenue South,

Stamford Bridge.

Updated: 10:26 Wednesday, October 12, 2005