Culture department reviews Licensing Act

March 5, 2008: Publicans who abuse the terms of the 2003 Licensing Act will face a yellow and red card system of sanctions.

That's one of the proposals in a review of the Act, published yesterday.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham warned licensees: "Breach your licensing conditions and you face severe and costly restrictions on your business."

Among other measures outlined in the review are possible opening restrictions between 3am and 6am in troublesome areas, possible sale restrictions at supermarket tills, tougher penalties for sales to under-18s and a £2,500 fine for refusing to relinquish alcohol being drunk in a public place

The Government also proposals to increase the dispersal powers of police, extend the use of young people's acceptable behaviour contracts and carry out new research into post-midnight drinking.

In essence, however, much of the 2003 Act will remain unchanged. The Act, which many opponents thought would open the floodgates to round-the-clock drinking has, in fact, led to average opening times being extended by just 21 minutes.