Time is called on happy hour
Happy hour drinking promotions are to be stamped out by a London borough in a bid to curb binge drinking.
The news comes amid concerns that the discounting of alcohol - often targeted at young people - is fuelling anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime.
Other boroughs have indicated they may follow suit if the new strategy by Richmond council is successful.
The council has drawn up a code of conduct to encourage licencees to cease the "aggressive discounting of alcoholic drinks that appear to encourage binge drinking".
Richmond expects the vast majority of bar owners to sign up to the scheme voluntarily. But those who fail to comply with the code could face having their licence removed if there is evidence of unruly behaviour on the premises.
Council leader Tony Arbour said: " Richmond is not an awfully rowdy place. But like the rest of London we have had incidents where people come to drink and spoil the place for people who come for more traditional pleasures."
Mr Arbour said that almost all the pubs in the area have taken up the scheme, adding: "I can tell you that for the non-chain pubs it is unanimous. We hope the chain pubs will follow suit."
The code, which comes into effect next month, asks pubs to sign up to a 10-point plan - including refusing to serve clients who appear to be drunk, and advertising mini-cab firms, night buses and trains to deter drink driving.
Frank Dupree, landlord of the Cabbage Patch pub in Twickenham, helped draw up the code on behalf of neighbourhood publicans. He said the principal offenders in Richmond were the pub chains, which could afford to buy in bulk and offered ruthless discounts to win trade.
He said: "People go to the discount chain pubs, get tanked up and then we have to deal with the problem later in the evening."
Despite Richmond's leafy reputation, violent crime in the borough rose by 15 per cent in July compared to last year's figure.
A spokesperson for Westminster council indicated that it was considering a similar move, adding: "We have had meetings with Richmond council to talk about this issue. We think they are on the right track."
