Drinks free-for-all: Number of premises with 24-hour licence soars by two-thirds in a year

Some 5,100 premises are now allowed to sell alcohol around the clock, up from 3,000 only 12 months ago.

The Culture Department figures prompted a row over Labour's controversial decision to relax the licensing laws in 2005.

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Opposition MPs said it was increasingly clear the reforms had failed to create the Continental cafÈ-style drinking culture that ministers had envisaged.

They pointed to increasing evidence of a sharp rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions and drunken violence on the streets.

Gordon Brown has said he will "not hesitate" to change the policy if a review he has ordered concludes it has encouraged excessive consumption and criminal behaviour.

The latest figures showed 5,100 premises have 24-hour licences, including 3,730 hotel bars, 910 supermarkets and stores and 460 pubs, bars and nightclubs.

Tories and Liberal Democrats said the statistics expose as a sham the Government's claim that locals would have a say on 24-hour drinking.

An overwhelming majority of late-night applications - 98 per cent - are being granted.

Only a tiny number of licences have been reviewed or revoked.

Tory culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt said: "As the number of 24-hour licences soars the muchtrumpetednew powers for local residents-have had little impact.

"Less than 0.4 per cent of all licensed premises have actually been reviewed.

"We have constantly argued that decisions about licensing are best made locally but this is clearly not happening.

"Despite Gordon Brown's spin of being tough on 24-hour drinking this bulletin reveals the truth.

"The Government should accept that they have failed to create the continental cafÈ culture that they promised and start giving real power on licensing issues to local people."

LibDem spokesman Don Foster said: "The Government's own figures show a complete failure to tackle Britain's growing drink problem.

"We were promised a continental drinking culture but in reality we've seen a dramatic leap in alcoholrelated A&E admissions and a surge in drunken violence.

"The buck must stop with ministers - it's their job to hold pubs, bars and off-licences to account for the country's binge-drinking culture."

Opposition MPs also attacked the Government's decision not to collect figures on the number of licences issued beyond 11pm, even though it provided an estimate last year and promised a "more comprehensive data collection exercise" this time.

Officials now say it would have been too onerous for local councils to provide such information.

Last year's data suggested only 20 per cent of pubs, bars and clubs were still shutting at 11pm, 50 per cent by midnight and 80 per cent by 1am, meaning 20 per cent stayed open later still.

Mr Hunt said: "Given this Government's track record with spin and statistics, the fact that they are failing to disclose the full impact of the new licensing laws will lead people to assume that the figures do not paint such a happy picture."

The Culture Department insisted the increase in 24-hour licences was largely due to some councils failing to count hotel bars last year.

Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "These are the first official figures since the Act came into force two years ago and I'm pleased they put to bed the theory that this law is all about 24-hour drinking. It isn't.

"Less than 3 per cent of premises are licensed to sell alcohol round the clock and two thirds of those are hotels, which have always been able to serve their guests 24 hours a day.

"Only around 1 per cent of premises have 24-hour licences to sell alcohol to the public - and many only open for longer hours on special occasions.

"The new laws give local people and police the power to ask for a review of a licence any time a problem occurs.

"That puts the onus back on the landlord - behave or risk closing early or even having your licence revoked."