BINGE drinking has been blamed for a huge rise in violent incidents in and around pubs and clubs in part of the North-East.

There were 1,615 brawls and assaults linked to licensed premises in the Cleveland Police area in the year to March 2004, more than 31 every week, compared to 1,176 the previous year.

The 37.3 per cent rise in only 12 months was the seventh highest of the 31 forces that were able to provide statistics to the Home Office.

Neither Durham nor North Yorkshire supplied figures. In Northumbria Police's area, the number of violent incidents linked to pubs and clubs fell by 4.5 per cent, to 1,767.

The Liberal Democrats immediately called on the Government to delay the introduction of round-the-clock drinking, due to start in November.

Culture spokesman Don Foster said a 15 per cent nationwide rise in drink-fuelled violence was "further evidence that binge drinking is out of control".

He said: "Labour is reckless to press ahead with longer licensing hours when pub brawls are on the rise.

"The Government must urgently delay their plans for longer pub opening hours and renew their faltering efforts to clamp down on happy hours."

The Government has insisted late-licensing will ease the problems in town centres by staggering the traditional 11pm last-orders time.

Ministers say new powers for the police and the public to close problem pubs will make it easier to crack down on late-night trouble.

But Cleveland Police's Chief Constable, Sean Price, has led criticism of the Home Office for failing to make pubs and clubs pay for the rising costs of drunken violence.

Under proposals before MPs, the drinks industry will be forced to pay only in a small number of areas that suffer the most trouble.

Mr Price has demanded a compulsory levy on every pub capable of holding more than 50 drinkers as the price for late-licensing going ahead.

Cleveland Police have introduced a voluntary levy in Stockton, where pubs, clubs and takeaways pay for the patrols of five extra officers until 3am on weekends.

Police Minister Hazel Blears said: "Responsibility for ending the binge-drinking culture must lie with the individual as much as with government and the police."

A Cleveland Police spokesman said he did not believe its problems were worse than those experienced in many other parts of England.