'24-hour drinking' myth exposed

The "24-hour drinking" myth has again been torn apart by new government figures revealing just four per cent of all licensed premises are allowed to open around-the-clock.

And of the 7,567 venues in England and Wales with a 24-hour licence, nearly eight out of 10 (78 per cent) are hotels, supermarkets and shops.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which released the figures yesterday, also pointed out: "The possession of a 24-hour licence does not necessarily mean that the premises will choose to open for 24 hours".

Mark Hastings, director of communications at the British Beer & Pub Association, said: "This explodes the myth around 24-hour drinking. If you were really trying to get a drink you would be better off looking for water in the desert, than a 24-hour pub."

A major reason the coalition has given for tearing up the current licensing regime is that Labour's plan to create a café culture failed.

But Hastings added: "The licensing changes were not intended to change British pubs into French-style cafes, just to give people more choice over where they spend their leisure time."

The annual figures did however show a four per cent rise in the number of 24-hour licences, but in real terms this meant around 100 more shops and supermarkets permitted to open around-the-clock and 100 more pubs and bars.

The South West has emerged as the capital of 24-hour licences, with 500 in Cornwall, 138 in West Dorset and 139 in Torbay.

And while the figures suggest there are more licences to sell alcohol than ever before with 166,000 in England and Wales, they also give an indication of the problems faced by pubs, with 30 a week still closing.

Around 5,700 premise licences were surrendered or lapsed between April 2009 and March 2010. The worst affected area was Blackpool, which saw 177 on and off-trade venues disappear. Wales has also been badly hit.

However the figures showed off-trade licences increased in the 12-month period by 1,200, while the number of on-trade licences fell.

Kate Nicholls, head of communications at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, said: "One of the real effects of the licensing changes has been the total deregulation of supermarkets which has left them free to sell alcohol as a loss-leader and allowing more consumption at home in an unsupervised environment."