'Cheers' to New Year celebrations

New year revellers can enjoy the pub for 36-hours

The longest party of the season begins on New Year's Eve - as bars and nightclubs fling open their doors for a non-stop 36 hours.

For the second time in three years, pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open continuously over the New Year period.

Instead of being shuffled out into the cold as time is called at 11 o'clock, partygoers will be able to buy another pint and toast the weary landlord.

The extended hours were first introduced for the Millennium celebrations.

They were deemed a success largely because many publicans did not call time as usual, but stayed open into the small hours.

Cheers

The move meant there was a reduction in the binge drinking at closing time that often leads to rowdiness on the streets.

The government decided to approve another such 36 hour period - allowing publicans to stay open if they wished - provided no objections were lodged by police forces, local authorities or residents.

This year, drinkers can take advantage of the extended licensing from 1100GMT New Year's Eve until 2300GMT New Year's Day.

Applications for extending opening hours over the new year holiday presently take up thousands of hours magistrates' courts time.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which deals with licensing matters, is in favour of the extended hours during subsequent new year's holidays and a wholesale review of Britain's pub opening hours is in the pipeline.