THE battle is on as councillors vow to put the blocks on late night boozing before it takes hold in Stockton Heath.

Stockton Heath Parish Council is actively opposing bars and pubs in the village that want to extend their drinking hours, ahead of the Government's controversial 24-hour licensing policy.

Already, China Red restaurant in the Victoria Buildings, the Red Lion, on London Road, and the Mulberry Tree on Grappenhall Road have applied for longer opening hours.

Parish councillors have objected to all three applications, they claim later drinking hours will damage the community and will cause anti-social behaviour and excess noise.

While residents also fear that the law, which comes into force across the country in November, could spell the end for the quiet village life they currently enjoy.

At a recent parish council meeting, Clr Celia Jordan said: "With all these bars pushing for longer licences it's all about profit and we should not give in to what they want."

And all councillors at September's Stockton Heath Parish Council meeting called for 'uniformity' of drinking times between premises in a bid to stop customers spilling on to the streets at various time of the night.

Despite these concerns, Warrington Borough Council's licensing committee granted China Red a midnight licence from Sunday to Thursday, 1am on Fridays and Saturdays and 1.30am on Christmas Eve.

Meanwhile the Red Lion Inn has applied for a 1am extension from Thursday to Sunday and midnight from Monday to Wednesday. This application was being heard by borough licensing officers as the Warrington Guardian went to press.

One Stockton Heath resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "This is disgraceful, this is a lovely residential area that will be brought into disrepute by binge drinkers and their rubbish littering our streets and causing trouble.

"It will end up as bad as the town centre if these changes are accepted."

And the desire for later licences seems to be growing as the Mulberry Tree has also applied for a 1am licence extension on week nights and 2am at weekends.

Mulberry Tree's licence application is the latest to date and it is this that has prompted concerns from the parish council that the manpower of Warrington police and the area's Community Support Officers will be unable to deal will staggered closing times.

Parish councillors hope that if this is granted, no other pubs in the village will follow suit.