POLICE are backing bids for late opening hours in the hope that a town's drinking habits will change.

Proposals for a trial period of extended opening hours at the Red Lion pub in Chester-le-Street and for a Chicago Rock caf bar that opens until 1am have prompted strong protests from some residents living nearby, who fear late-night disturbances.

But police are supporting the later closing times and have indicated they will not object to the proposals when they go before magistrates for approval on August 9.

The Red Lion, at the North end of Front Street wants to extend opening times in the bar until midnight.

Chief Insp Laz Szomoru, based at Durham police station, said staggered opening times would tone down the volatile pub and club closing times, when drinkers often clash on the streets after piling out of pubs at 11am and 2am. He said: "I think it will be interesting having a midnight licence for the bar area of the Red Lion just to see the impact it has on Front Street. Staggered closing times throughout the town will reduce noise."

Chief Insp Szomoru said he thought changes to traditional pub closing times were inevitable.

"The traditional 11pm closing times for pubs or 2am closing for night-clubs is something that's not sustainable and I think there's certainly some large operators are wanting to try and extend their licensing hours.

"Provided it's not going to have a negative impact on the community and residents and cause extra problems for the police, it's something we should encourage."

Other people living near the town centre fear it will mean more disturbances late into the night.

One man, who did not wish to be named, said: "There's one old lady who lives near Front Street who has just had a breast operation and she can't get to sleep until 3am with normal opening hours.

"If both these pubs get their late-opening, we're going to have a nuisance at both ends of the town."

The director of Luminar Leisure, the company behind the Chicago Rock development has maintained on earlier occasions that his pub is aimed at more mature drinkers and that he is willing to meet with residents to allay fears about noise.

Nobody was available for comment on behalf of the Red Lion pub.