Officers ‘gearing up’ for extended 5am World Cup pub opening hours, former police chief warns

Officers ‘gearing up’ for extended 5am World Cup pub opening hours, former police chief warns The decision to allow pubs to remain open into the early hours could ‘lead to trouble,’ the former Met Police boss said - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A former police boss has warned that officers will have to “gear up” after Sir Keir Starmer’s surprise announcement that pubs can stay open until 5am for England’s next World Cup match. Andy Trotter, a former deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said the combination of alcohol and sporting events “can lead to trouble,” as he explained the changes that police would have to make. Allowing pubs keep their doors open to screen the 1am kick-off on Monday will result in last-minute shift changes for officers, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Mr Trotter said: “My anxiety is with the late change the police are now going to have to gear up across the country on a night normally when into the early hours it’d be a bit quieter than usual,” “Now they have to change shifts, get more officers out. “And we all hope this is going to be a great night in all ways. We all hope it’s going to be calm and peaceful, but we know the combination of hot nights, alcohol and sporting events can lead to trouble.” He added: “There could well be issues as people come out at 4 or 5 in the morning, bumping into the morning bleary-eyed commuters. “So the police have got to be ready for this, but my anxiety is the late notice for police forces means a lot of late shift changes, which is the unfortunate.” It comes after chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary, Mark Roberts criticised the government over the decision which “could have been managed differently”. He said: “We’re not trying to be killjoys, but the existing licensing laws allow individual premises to apply for an extension, and we think that’s a sensible way to do it.” The government’s announcement comes after it confirmed in February that pubs will be allowed to stay open until 2am if any of the home nations make it to the knockout stage at the men’s football tournament. It is the first time in a decade that the relaxation of alcohol licensing hours has applied to the round of 32 and 16 – with Mr Roberts, who is also the UK’s national football lead, saying it is “just common sense tells you that is going to give us more problems”. But many hospitality businesses are hoping the World Cup will give the UK economy a much-needed boost. In a non-World Cup summer, pubs might expect to sell 372m pints between early June and late July, the dates of the tournament. But recent figures for The Independent from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimate an England appearance in the World Cup final would raise an extra £275m in sales, with fans drinking 55 million more pints over the summer. According to the BBPA, each World Cup game generates an extra £2.5m to £5m to the industry, with each pub estimated to sell an extra 1,240 pints in the run-up to the final. That is the equivalent of 625,000 50-litre kegs. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, previously said: “The World Cup will be an important boost for Britain’s pubs and brewers, bringing fans together in the nation’s living room. This tournament will further cement pubs’ rightful place as the home for community and celebrations, and this summer of sport could prove to be a summer of success for our locals.” England face Mexico on Monday morning for a 1am kickoff at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, which is 6pm the previous day in the country’s local time. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments