POLICE in Worcester object in the strongest possible terms to the city’s Vue cinema being allowed to sell alcohol at certain screenings.

They are worried about how people would behave if the Friar Street venue were given a licence allowing it to serve drinks both in the foyer area and direct to customers’ seats.

There could be drunkeness and under-age drinking.

More chillingly, they fear young girls could become victims of male predators.

Vue, which says a “substantial number” of its 60 cinemas around the country already sell alcohol, says being able to serve customers with a beer or wine during a screening will help them better enjoy their night.

It has proposed safeguards such as regular checks that audience members were behaving themselves.

These, somewhat bizarrely, would be carried out by staff wearing nightvision goggles.

The police are right to question the need for any new outlet serving alcohol in Worcester city centre, where drunkeness is of concern.

This newspaper also believes most film fans would be less than impressed by having to watch a movie surrounded on all sides by people slurping lager or Chardonnay from plastic beakers, in addition to putting up with the racket of hands rummaging in bags of popcorn.

But perhaps a compromise can be reached? Would allowing a small, responsibly-run bar serving refreshments to cinema-goers before and after screenings really be the thin edge of the wedge?

Or has our drink-soaked society simply sunk too low to be trusted.