Last orders in binge drinking battle

Pubs, clubs and shops will be stripped of their licences after breaking drinking laws twice under a raft of tough new penalties unveiled by the Government today to tackle Britain's binge drinking culture.

A yellow and red cards system is to be introduced for landlords and shopkeepers under the 'two strikes and you're out' policy to govern alcohol sales, who will have their licence revoked on a second offence. And police will be given new powers to ban 24-hour drinking.

This will apply to towns and cities which have been turned into trouble hot spots by booze-fulled thugs.

And fines for drinking on the streets will be increased from £500 to £2,500.

Ministers will also urge the drinks industry to do more to stop cheap alcohol sales and promotions.

The crackdown follows the completion of a review of the Licensing Act which brought in round-the-clock pub opening, in which officials acknowledge the relaxed rules have only been a partial success.

They were designed to give sensible drinkers the chance to have a tipple when they want.

But critics say the legislation has done nothing to curb excessive drinking.

Culture Minister Gerry Sutcliffe claimed overall crime and alcohol consumption had gone down since 24-hour drinking laws were introduced in 2005, but admitted there were problem areas after last orders. He said: "There is a problem between 3am and 6am and we need to work with local authorities and the police to tackle this.

"People shouldn't be woken up, there shouldn't be disorder. We will take whatever action is required to stop binge drinking."

Jan Berry, chair of the Police Federation, said that 24-hour licensing was responsible for a rise in the number of alcohol-fuelled incidents, assaults on police officers and anti-social behaviour on the streets.

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said he believed the Government was "behaving extraordinarily by saying 24-hour drinking is here to stay".