New powers for police to shut rowdy venues and cut drink-related crime:

Guardian UK: "Ministers are to give the police and local authorities powers to create "alcohol-free zones" through the wholesale withdrawal of licences from pubs and clubs in city-centre problem areas.

The tougher enforcement regime to tackle the worst hotspots of binge drinking was disclosed as police pressed for a compulsory levy on pubs and clubs in order to pay for the extra costs of dealing with disorder.

Home Office research published yesterday showed that concerns about "24-hour drinking" voiced two years ago when the change in the licensing laws was introduced have not materialised.

But the change in opening hours has not led to a significant reduction in crime and disorder. The overall disorder level remains the same but with a small proportion of violent crime displaced to the early hours of the morning.

"The main conclusion to be drawn from the evaluation is that licensing regimes may be one factor in effecting change to the country's drinking culture, and its impact on crime, but they do not appear to be the critical factor. The key issue is how they interact with other factors," said the Home Office report.

A new "yellow card, red card" alert system is to be used against rowdy pubs, with maximum fines for drinking in the street in areas where it is banned increased from £500 to £2,500.

The Association of Chief Police Officers called for a compulsory levy on pubs and clubs to pay the extra costs of policing the streets in the early hours of the morning. "As more violence and disorder is now taking place late at night, police forces have had to move officers from day and evening shifts to night shifts, which clearly has an impact on our ability to maintain our service to the public," said Chris Ellison of the Metropolitan police.

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