RELAXATION of drinking laws moved one step closer on Wednesday when West Somerset licensing committee agreed to plans for certain pubs and clubs in Minehead to stay open until 3am.
If approved by the council cabinet, premises which hold a special hours certificate will be allowed to operate after 11pm. The seven-month trial extension would apply only to Friday and Saturday nights.
The council and the police see the move as a way of dealing with the hundreds of people "downing pints" and flooding out onto the streets in the town when the clubs shut at 1am and 2am.
A more staggered closing time would encourage people to stop drinking and leave at their leisure instead of in a huge crowd.
The council had received an application from a publican in the town to stretch his opening hours but, after talks with Inspector Rod Price, it was felt that all the venues' hours should be put under the microscope.
Similar 3am closing trials have been carried out in Taunton and 5am finishes in Bristol with no reported increase in crime or disturbance.
One of the rules included in the draft 3am Public Entertainment Licence
was that no-one aged under 18 should be allowed on the premises after 8.30pm.
Other pencilled in recommendations include a charge of at least £2 for anyone entering after 10.30pm and using a metal detector device to search customers for knives and other weapons.
Committee members gave their approval to free phone calls to be provided to ring for taxis.
Inspector Price said: "At 11pm and 12pm, we have a movement of people around the town going into late night drinking houses.
"At 1am and 2am we have around 200 to 300 people milling around the town centre with the potential for anti-social behaviour."
He said some had asked why all premises could not be allowed to stay open later to provide a "level playing field".
"If these places are all allowed to all stay open to, let's say, 2am we could have over 800 people in Wellington Square, Holloway Street and The Parade and potential problems.
"These licensees should provide a calming influence on people before they leave so they can wind down from the loud music and drinking.
"There is emphasis on them to offer food, coffee, tea, orange juice and free water so they can disperse between 2am and 3am."
He said someone going out on a Friday and Saturday night would have the same £40 in their pocket whether they stopped drinking at 2am or 3am.
Cllr Nick Messarra said: "I would support these proposals because we should be going forward to get ready for the future. Other areas have shown that it has been a success."
Cllr Jamie Anderson said before all-day opening people would "sling drink down their neck" at lunch-time to beat last orders.
He added: "The continentals have had no trouble and, sure as eggs is eggs, we will be sitting here in two years' time debating whether to extend opening hours further. In ten years time it will be probably to pass 24-hour drinking laws."
Licensing committee chairman Cllr Keith Parkes said: "Everything points towards this being a good thing. When Scotland experimented with relaxing their drinking laws I think there was an 85 per cent reduction in crime.
"The licence extensions in Taunton and Bristol have also shown that it can work."