Paying the price for a late drink

There are concerns that Britons are drinking too heavily

The government says pubs and clubs should be forced to help meet the cost of drink related anti-social behaviour.

Ministers will outline plans today following warnings from senior police officers that new licensing allowing pubs to stay open longer could increase alcohol related violence.

Pub groups, which had expected a voluntary charge, oppose the idea - saying they already have to pay extra fees for police in the form of taxes.

A steep rise in the cost of a licence to sell alcohol is also expected.

Breakfast had more on this throughout Friday's programme

Sarah Campbell was in Taunton where they're already taking steps to curb binge drinking in their pubs and clubs. Click on the link to the right to see her report.

Our Political Correspondent Shaun Ley assessed the political implications of the proposed changes - click above to see that report

Finally, we discussed the wider issue with Patrick Dillon who wrote a book about the impact of gin on eighteenth century Britain.

Extra costs

The Association of Chief Police Officers has backed calls for a compulsory levy on the drinks trade to pay for extra policing hours.

Under the plans, pubs which offer drinks promotions and those associated with high levels of alcohol-fuelled crime are most likely to be targeted.

The drinks industry says it is already paying enough

But the government has yet to work out how to implement the charges so that well-run bars do not have to pay the extra costs, says BBC News home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw.

Mark Hastings, from the British Beer and Pub Association, said a new levy would be unfair.

"What we contribute already outweighs what they spend on the policy by double," he said.

"We cannot see how there's any justification for raising yet another tax from our sector."

Extra costs

Pubs and bars are also braced for higher charges for a licence.

They currently pay a flat rate of £30 every three years to serve until 11pm, with extra costs for opening later.

Last November the government proposed charging pubs a one-off payment of between £80 and £500, as well as an annual fee of between £40 and £225.

But ministers are expected to reveal significantly increased fees in the wake of local councils' fears of cash shortfalls as they run the new scheme.

'Loutish behaviour'

The government announcement was expected after the Metropolitan Police chief Sir John Stevens said the new licensing laws, due to be introduced next month, should be re-examined because of a binge drinking "epidemic".

"There has been a major trend towards drunken, loutish behaviour: assaults on police are up 40%. It's not just London - it's nationwide," he told the London Evening Standard.

"I feel now that we should just slow down a little on this proposal ... let's have another look at what all-hours drinking could mean."

Pressing ahead with plans to allow pubs and clubs to open 24-hours a day would be irresponsible David Davis

Shadow home secretary David Davis said Sir John's opinions reflected the concerns of "thousands" of police officers, doctors and members of the public.

"With many of our towns and cities already no-go areas on Friday and Saturday nights, pressing ahead with plans to allow pubs and clubs to open 24 hours a day would be irresponsible."

But a spokesman for the Department of Culture said: "Graduated closing times will help to reduce binge drinking and cut the anti-social behaviour which accompanies it."