CONTROVERSIAL moves to bring in 24-hour drinking will ease alcohol-fuelled violence in Swindon, the town's MPs have claimed.

Swindon's two Labour MPs defended the changes in the law as it emerged the Cabinet had been split over the issue when it was sanctioned in 2003.

Julia Drown, MP for South Swindon, said a more liberal licensing regime would encourage more responsible drinking by removing the incentive to binge drink against the clock.

She said: "When I have talked to police in Swindon they have said that more graduated opening hours may prevent everyone spilling out onto the street at the same time and causing fights.

"Hopefully this will change drinking culture in this country. There is no reason why there shouldn't be a continental-style culture where people go out to eat and socialise without drinking to excess.

"It is something we can try and if it doesn't work it can be changed."

The Licensing Act comes into force early next month.

The act, which received cross-party support when it was being drafted in

Parliament, became controversial after a number of chief constables and leading doctors said it would lead to an increase in binge drinking.

A leaked memo has also revealed the then-Home Secretary David Blunkett had tried to block the moves, fearing they would escalate drinking-related problems in

town centres. In a letter to Tony Blair, leaked to a Sunday newspaper, Mr Blunkett said round-the-clock drinking would be a "leap in the dark" and risked "worsening the situation".

Two London councils, Camden and Westminster, have threatened a legal

challenge unless they are compensated for the extra costs caused by later pub

opening hours.

But North Swindon MP Michael Wills said keeping the existing opening hours

regime "was not an option".

He said: "We already have a terrible binge drinking problem in Swindon town

centre on many nights of the week and the problem has got to be addressed.

"I have been calling for the Government for some time now to take more aggressive action and this is something I believe could work.

"I have seen doctors locally who tell me of the terrible harm this is causing young people. As well as the cost to the police and the cost to

Swindon Council this is doing untold damage to the bodies of young people who drink excessively."

He added that the council's licensing committee should make every pub licensing decision on the basis "what will the impact be on binge drinking."