POLICE and local authority leaders in the North-East have clashed over Government plans to curb drunken violence by fining problem pubs.

Senior police officers backed alcohol disorder zones (ADZs), within which pubs and clubs linked to late-night mayhem would meet the costs of extra policing and clean-up.

Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price went further - demanding a compulsory levy on every pub capable of holding more than 50 drinkers.

But the Association of North-East Councils (Anec) has said that ADZs could prove to be unfair to law-abiding businesses within the zones. It has urged police to designate zones only as a last resort, where problems have "gone out of control and where disorder has escalated to clearly unacceptable levels".

Anec's misgivings are a setback to the Home Office, which hoped the use of designated zones would calm protests about new licences allowing pubs to remain open round-the-clock.

They are likely to anger residents who have accused the drinks industry of turning a blind eye to the consequences of drunkeness.

Within ADZs, a yellow card system would give disorderly pubs and off-licences eight weeks to clean up their act or face a bill for extra policing, street-cleaning and even hospital costs.

A three-strikes-and-you are-out crackdown would ban anyone given three on-the-spot fines for drink-related offences from the pubs and clubs in the zone.

Anec's opposition is revealed in its response to the Home Office's consultation, published yesterday.

It states: "The impact on a law-abiding pub, and indeed other businesses within a zone, could be detrimental to economic stability.

"We would urge that some consideration be given to prosecuting or closing down identified premises that continue to cause disorder after the warning period expires, rather than designating an entire area as an ADZ."

In contrast, Durham Police called for ADZs to be imposed immediately at the first evidence of disorder, adding: "A robust approach in the beginning will pay dividends in the future".

A spokesman said: "We see the new powers as a milestone in getting our house in order, with respect to licensed premises. This is a unique chance to improve our capability to police public disorder."

Durham Alcohol Concern urged a crackdown on rogue pubs, saying they were drinking dens with an atmosphere to promote maximum consumption of alcohol.

Ironically, individual authorities including Darlington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough all backed the proposals in their individual submissions.

Darlington Borough Council called for disorderly pubs to be given just two weeks' saying: "Eight weeks is too long a time for residents to suffer consequences."

The proposals, called Drinking Responsibly, form part of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, which will be considered by a committee of MPs, in October.