Band together against super-pubs, he tells residents

SLEEPLESS residents kept awake by Camden’s noisiest bars must band together to fend off moves by pub bosses to stay open later.
This is the latest call from Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson who warned on Friday that the government and police chiefs must take strong action against rowdy pubs and clubs.
Mr Dobson has emerged as one of the chief critics of Whitehall’s policy to scrap fixed opening hours for nightspots.
Speaking at a meeting in the Irish Centre in Camden Square, Camden Town, Mr Dobson said: “The law states that you are not allowed to serve alcohol to someone who is drunk. We all know this isn’t the reality. If it was then pubs wouldn’t be asking for longer hours, they would be closing at 8.30pm because they are full of drunks. Some of these places are amazing.”
Mr Dobson was speaking at the annual meeting of the Camden Elderly Irish Network at the London Irish Centre in Camden Square, Camden Town, on Friday afternoon.
He added: “I say to local people who are having problems to join with other local people who are having problems to say this is unreasonable. If you are living in a street where the Dog and Duck is at one end, the Pig and Whistle is halfway down the street and there is a fancy wine bar at the other end, and one closes at 11, one closes at 12 and one close at one or later, then you are going to get lots of closing times.
“You will get three periods when people are coming out of the pub and there is noise. It’s not what residents want.” Monday was the first day for licence bids made under the new system to arrive at the Town Hall.
But yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon officials were still waiting for their first application.
Council sources said that the slow start was unlikely to relate to the future pattern of applications expected in the next couple of months.
A delay in getting new forms from the government may also be behind the slow activity.
Licensing chairwoman Councillor Lucy Anderson said: “The bars do not have to rush their application. What we would like to see is the applications staggered.”
Information to help residents and licensees through the system has been posted on the council’s website.