Gordon Brown is set to review the Licensing Act in the wake of an increase in crime committed by those under the influence of alcohol.

The Prime Minister said yesterday in his monthly press conference that there would be a review of “what the effects have been” of extending opening hours for pubs beyond the traditional 11pm closing time in the wake of the British Crime Survey statistics released last week.

He added that there had been “complaints” about the increase of arrests between 3am and 6am – a statistic that has been linked to the relaxation of licensing laws.

The Prime Minister has already instigated one Government u-turn on the proposed super casino in Manchester, claiming there were better ways of meeting the economic and social needs of the area.”

It was estimated that the super casino would have created 2,700 jobs of which 90% were in hospitality.

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By Chris Walton

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