Three-quarters of independent hospitality businesses do not think extended licensing hours will tackle binge drinking, according to research by Beacon.

Beacon, the purchasing consortium for Best Western Hotels in Great Britain, quizzed members and found only 17% of the 500 respondents thought the plans to liberalise opening hours would be successful in easing the situation.

Karen Packham, director for Beacon, said: “A lot of our members believe that binge drinking and the problems associated with it are issues which should be dealt with through education rather than extended serving hours.”

Despite this, a third of respondents said they planned to extend their opening hours, if they hadn’t done so already, to tailor their opening hours to suit guests.

The research also found that red tape associated with the process and increased staff wages were reasons for respondents not yet applying for applications.

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