Pubs face shutdown amid licences chaos

Thousands of London pubs could be forced to close by Christmas because of chaos around the plans for 24-hour licensing.

They are running out of time to renew licences under the new system introduced by the Government. Many landlords appear to be unaware they need to "convert" their licence by 6 August even if they do not want to change opening hours. Off-licences also have to apply, along with late-night supermarkets and take-aways that serve food after 11pm. Only 13 per cent of the 17,289 licensed premises in London have applied to convert licences, says the Association of London Government. This figure excludes thousands of off-licences.

In Westminster, the council has received 332 applications from its 3,600 licensed premises - about eight per cent. Of these, almost one in three forms has been incorrectly completed and are invalid.

Pubs that miss the 6 August deadline must submit a new application, opening the possibility of objections. Councils then have to process applications by the cut off date - likely to be 30 November.