IF it was just a case of giving the same treatment to all, the plea by six of Blackburn's town-centre bars to be allowed to open until 2am like two others which already do would not not cause Blackburn with Darwen Council's licensing committee much concern tonight.
But though the commercial aspect of the bid is relevant -- in that the small, independent businesses behind the bid want to be able to complete on even terms with their rivals -- councillors can hardly ignore the intervention of the police.
In short, they say that if it is granted, it would simply mean more drink-fuelled trouble in the town late at night.
And that prospect is what the licensing committee must consider most carefully. For, surely, it is much more important than the other issues involved -- that of two pubs ostensibly having preferential treatment over their hours and nightclubs being allowed to serve drinks until 2 am anyway.
The prime question is whether more late-night opening will lead to more violence and disorder. The police, in fact, maintain that it would lead to intolerable and unmanageable levels of trouble between 2am and 3am and would see a return of the days when all the pubs emptied at the same time -- the so-called '11 o'clock phenomenon' -- but with the difference of people having had three hours longer in which to drink.
And supporting this contention is the fact that police want to revoke the 2am licences of the two pubs which got them just before Christmas as they say an 18 per cent rise in assaults in the town centre reflect the extra late licences allowed last year.
There is no denying that East Lancashire does have a problem with drunken yobs causing town-centre trouble -- as shown by recent efforts to ban the louts from bars and clubs in neighbouring Burnley where last year 992 weekend incidents involving fights, drunk and disorderly behaviour and damage to property were reported.
And though, generally, the liberalisation of day-time drinking hours has not created major problems, councillors will have to carefully consider whether greater drinking freedom at night will mean more trouble -- when it seems that, with the prevailing restraints, there is plenty already.
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