Bar can extend booze sales

A cocktail bar in Walsall that ran into trouble with police for allegedly promoting binge drinking has won permission to serve customers for longer.

Modus Vivendi currently serves drinks from midday to midnight Sunday to Wednesday and until 2.30am Thursday to Saturday.

But at a licensing hearing yesterday an application to extend sales until 3.30am daily was approved.

Bosses at the bar, which opened in Bridge Street only three months ago, were criticised by police after a leaflet which read: "Drink as much as you can in 60 seconds every hour" was handed out in the town.But licensee Rajvinder Singh Purba claimed the wording was a mistake and should have said: "Buy a raffle ticket and win the chance to make a cocktail with the help of bar staff in just 60 seconds".

A panel of three councillors spent an hour considering the application, which was opposed by police.

Councillor Dennis Anson said: "There have been no police raids there and no problems so no reason not to grant the revised licence."

New conditions mean the nightspot can host live music between noon and 2am daily, play recorded music and allow people to dance until 3.30am daily.