A TOWN centre pub is hoping to become the first in Blackburn to open until 2am every night.

The Borough Arms in Exchange Street is applying to magistrates for a licence to serve drinks into the early hours.

If the move is successful it could open up the way for other pubs in East Lancashire to stay open late into the night in competition with nightclubs.

The application will be heard by licensing magistrates tomorrow and could set a precedent for the rest of East Lancashire.

The Borough, which has recently undergone major refurbishments, is the first pub in East Lancashire to win an extension to its public entertainment licence.

Officers at Blackburn with Darwen Council referred the decision to members of the public protection sub-committee who approved the licence.

During the meeting, it was pointed out that there were currently no pubs with public entertainment licences until 2am in the borough and the approval of the application could set a precedent.

Bass, the brewery which owns the pub, is applying to magistrates for a similar extension to the drinking licence.

Geoff Sutcliffe, chairman of Blackburn Licensed Victuallers Association, believes other pubs will soon follow suit.

He said: "The association doesn't have a policy as such on late licences but we hope it will strengthen the cases of other pubs when they apply for extended hours.

"There has definitely been a change in attitude among magistrates and councillors to later drinking in pubs during the past 18 months and there is obviously a demand for it.

"At one time it was almost impossible to get a licence past midnight.

"It is only logical that nightclubs, especially the smaller ones, will be affected when most of the town centre pubs are providing entertainment until 2am for a fraction of the price."

Peter Rawcliffe, landlord of the Borough, did not want to comment on the application until after the hearing.

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