Three cheers for 24-hour drinking

Londoners today welcomed plans to introduce 24-hour drinking. Most people said they welcomed the move because it reflected changing lifestyles.

No one who spoke to the Evening Standard, in Soho, said they feared it would lead to an increase in binge drinking and loutish behaviour.

They were speaking after the Government confirmed pubs will open around the clock from next year despite mounting concern over alcohol-fuelled crime. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell set out a timetable for new laws to come into force which will sweep away the traditional 11pm closing time.

In its place, a flexible system will allow pubs to stay open later, or even 24 hours a day, so long as they are granted permission by local councils. Labour hopes the move will be a vote-winner. Days before the last election it sent text-messages to young voters with a pledge: "Cdnt give a XXXX 4 lst ordrs? Vote labour on thrsdy 4 xtra time."

But this month Downing Street launched an action plan to tackle alcohol abuse, which it claimed took 22,000 lives a year and cost the economy £20 billion. Ministers highlighted the spread of drinkrelated crime in town centres and attacked

"irresponsible" promotions by the drinks industry. Shadow culture secretary Julie Kirkbride said: "It's about time they had a consistent approach."

Lib-Dem spokesman Don Foster said: "It seems increasingly obvious this Government couldn't give a XXXX about the disorder and chaos caused by the Licensing Act."

A guidance note issued by Ms Jowell yesterday said the laws, expected to take effect in January, were now likely to be come into force in the middle of next year. The apparent slippage means round-the-clock drinking will not start until after the most likely date for the next general election, in May or June next year.

Ms Jowell told Radio 4's Today programme today: "The reason that we are moving to more flexible licensing

hours is because of all the evidence that crime and disorder is at its peak at chucking-out time.

"We now have new legislation [with] an overriding objective to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. I'm confident that the measures we have put in place will do just that."