A senior police officer has cautioned that extended pub opening hours during the World Cup could lead to increased disorder and strain on resources. Mark Roberts, chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary and the UK's national football lead, said the government's decision to allow pubs to stay open until 2am for knockout matches involving home nations 'could have been managed differently'.
Roberts insisted police were not trying to be 'killjoys', but argued that existing licensing laws already allow individual venues to apply for extensions. He warned that the blanket relaxation, the first in a decade to apply to the round of 32 and 16, would likely cause more problems. 'Common sense tells you that is going to give us more problems,' he said.
The police chief expressed concern that extending hours would lengthen the night-time economy, requiring more officers on duty. 'The more people drink, the more problems we can have, the more policing that is required,' he said. He added that officers would be working late shifts, taking them away from local communities.
However, the hospitality industry anticipates a significant economic boost. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimates an England appearance in the final would generate an extra £275m in sales, with 55 million more pints consumed. Each pub could sell an extra 1,240 pints in the run-up to the final.
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said the World Cup would be 'an important boost for Britain's pubs and brewers'. Roberts acknowledged the potential benefits but stressed the need for a more controlled approach. 'We would have liked to do it in a more controlled manner, so that we can actually allow the benefits for the licensed trade but not just pass the buck on to policing,' he said.
