Drinking laws a disaster, says MEP

Following the pronouncement by police chiefs that the 24 hour drinking laws have proved a disaster, local MEP Paul Nuttall has voiced support for their findings.

And he pointed out that he had previously warned that relaxing the licensing rules would be a mistake.

"This was never going to work in Britain and I said from the start that this Tony Blair government measure should not go ahead. As I predicted it has led to an increase in drunken violence on our streets and placed an enormous strain on police forces," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP deputy leader.

"It has harmed the licensing trade as traditional pubs have actually seen a decline in custom as people, particularly youngsters, get tanked up at home on cheap supermarket booze and then go out around midnight to premises which stay open until 6 am.

"As well as totally inebriated youths causing noise and nuisance on our streets there are also incidents of violence, sometimes with fatal results.

"The government must face the problems caused by round-the-clock drinking laws as a matter of urgency," said Mr Nuttall.