TWELVE months after the introduction of 24-hour licensing laws and a Salisbury district councillor is urging caution in the issuing of late-night licences.

Councillor Simon Howarth, a member of the council's licensing panel, said: "Salisbury is different to many towns because it has residential areas located shoulder to shoulder with night clubs and bars.

"Unfortunately, high-spirited revellers going home are inevitably a disturbance to residents trying to sleep, however well behaved they may be.

"It is difficult to strike a balance between the legitimate desire of people wanting a good night out and residents wishing to sleep.

"But I am of the view that we have gone too far in allowing nightlife to develop at the expense of residents."

However, the passing of the one-year anniversary of the new legislation has seen a number of surveys published which indicate that the new licences have made very little difference to overall drinking habits and behaviour, and therefore suggest that Councillor Howarth's caution may well be misplaced.

For example, in a survey conducted by the British Beer and Pub Association, 85 per cent of pubgoers questioned said that the new all-day drinking legislation had had no effect on how often they went out, while 71 per cent stated they went out and returned home at the same time as prior to the changes.

The same survey also showed that drinkers, especially in the 18 to 29-year-old age group, felt less pressure to drink quickly in the wake of the new licensing laws.

Moreover, they preferred to stay longer in a local pub than drink in a late-night, town-centre bar.

And this general picture is also reflected in information released by Salisbury Police, which shows that there has been no major rise in alcohol- related crime, although this situation might be more closely related to improved methods of policing.

Amanda Baldwin, Salisbury Police's licensing officer, explained: "One year on from the start of the Licensing Act, there has not been the increase in drunkenness and disorderly behaviour predicted by many, and both licensees and police have embraced the benefits of the Act.

"There has been the occasional problem along the way, but one of the great achievements of the Act has been the increase in communication between licensees, police, local authorities and other partners.

"This has meant that most problems have been resolved by discussion rather than enforcement."