POLICE and health campaign groups in the North-East gave a mixed reaction to the most radical reform of licensing hours in 90 years.

The scrapping of fixed licensing laws and the potential for 24-hour drinking are planned in the new Licensing Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech.

But a senior police chief in Darlington fears that officers could be taken away from residential areas because of a greater need to patrol the town centre.

Chief Inspector Barry Knevitt said: "The staggering of hours can produce real benefits.

"But what concerns me is the potential for large numbers of people spilling out into the town centre over a longer time. This means police officers might, in turn, be tied up in the town centre and I would not be able to deploy them in residential areas."

Police forces across the region said the benefits of the changes would vary from city centres to villages.

But a spokeswoman for Alc-ohol Concern in the region said the group had no serious concerns.

"We welcome the proposals to update the licensing regime as the current system is clearly outdated and piecemeal," she said.

"However, we believe that any changes must aim to reduce the impact of alcohol misuse on individuals, families and society."

Administration of the system has moved from magistrates' jurisdiction to local authorities.

The Bill will also remove a range of administrative overheads for businesses, sweeping away red tape, which the Government predicts will save the industry a total of £1.97bn over the first ten years.

The present licensing laws date back to the First World War when they were introduced to discourage munition workers from drinking.