Paul Morrison with his sister Kirsty Ref. 75743-116With fears being raised over the introduction of 24-hour drinking, ISABEL FIELD went out in Swindon to see what our drinking culture is really like

THE snow does not seem to have put the revellers off as they start to pour into the town centre on Saturday night.

The streets at the top of town are deadly quiet but as the shops start to give way to bars, the sound of music coming out of each of them breaks the silence and suddenly there are more people around.

The Bedroom bar on Bridge Street is fairly empty at about 8.30pm but soon starts to fill up, mainly with people aged about 18 to 25.

Paul Morrison, 21, from Toothill, is out with his brothers, sister and friend.

He is not planning to drink too much as he wasn't feeling well but he admits the amount he would normally get through on a Saturday night in town about 15 bottles of beer would put him in the 'binge drinker' category.

"I have never been in trouble but I am a binge drinker basically," he says. "I think it is overdone. A lot of people do binge drink. I don't go out causing trouble but it is the minority who spoil it for everybody else."

But Paul thinks the plans to extend opening hours would help the problems that the minority cause.

"When pubs and clubs shut at 2am a lot of people try to cram drinks in but if they were open all night people might pace themselves," he says. "And if people are leaving at different times there wouldn't be as much trouble."

Meanwhile Josh Connolly, a supermarket worker from Stratton, is drinking with friend Yinka Kazeem. Josh thinks people should not criticise those who like to go out for a drink or the atmosphere it might create in town.

"I am 18 years old," he says. "I have got a job, I work every day, why shouldn't I come out on a Saturday night and do what I want?"

By now the bar is fairly full, but with still no one over 30 in sight. Most people are drinking pints or bottles and chatting, with not much sign of shot-downing binge drinkers.

Louise Grant, 20, a student from Lower Stratton, comes out to the bars in town every Saturday night, drinking about three or four Malibu and cokes during an evening. She thinks longer opening hours are a good idea but says people need to change too.

"I don't think there are too many bars in Swindon but people should learn to control their alcohol," she says. "People need to know where to cut it off."

Clare Bowditch, 25, from Park South, says she drinks about four or five pints, maybe a few shots and a few vodka and cokes during a night out but spreads it out during the night and thinks 24-hour opening might help others do the same.

"If you had 24-hour licences people would take their time and not get so rowdy," she says. But friend Darren Stiles, a teaching assistant from Cheney Manor, disagrees.

"It could cause trouble," he says. "People will be drinking more, there will be more drink driving."

People are still arriving through the snow and back outside there are plenty more dashing between the bars. Some are singing, some are shouting, but no one is fighting or being sick. Then again, the night isn't over yet.

What the changes in the law mean

Pubs could move to 24-hour opening as early as autumn.

A new licensing regime is planned to calm fears that this will bring disorder to town centres.

Under a yellow card scheme problem premises will be told to clean up their act in eight weeks or face extra policing costs.

People who get three on-the-spot fines or convictions for drink-related offences will face a ban from their local bars.

There will not be a ban on happy hours but a drinks industry code of practice will ban promotions which encourage speed drinking and excessive drinking.

On-the-spot fines will be handed out for under-18s caught trying to buy alcohol.

There will be 48-hour shutdowns for premises caught selling alcohol to minors.

Responsibility for administrating licences will move from magistrates to local councils.

Premises applying for a licence will face a one-off fee followed by an annual charge which will be graded according to the size and location of the bar or pub. Large pubs in town centres will have to pay more in licence fees.

Problem areas will be designated Alcohol Disorder Zones.

Isabel Field