THERE are conflicting schools of thought about how to deal with Britain's apparent binge-drinking problem.

The solution promoted by politicians and police in recent years has been to liberalise licensing hours - on the basis that we drink too much, too fast, because of the historical imperative to beat the last-orders bell.

The alternative view, of course, is that if you serve alcohol for longer, people simply get more drunk - with all the problems of crime and violence that often entails on high streets up and down Britain every weekend.

That seems to be the attitude of an anonymous Worcester resident who has pushed leaflets through hundreds of letterboxes in St John's protesting about plans by Bamboo nightclub, in Cripplegate Park, to extend

its serving hours from 2am

until 4am.

You can see why he or she might be concerned.

Those people who live on the route between Bamboo and UCW have long complained about students who have necked a few too many alcopops.

But why should the antics of a few spoil it for those who just want to have a good time?

Young people in other European countries don't even leave the house before midnight, and coming home at 2am would feel like being sent to bed early.

If British teenagers want to

dance and drink until dawn, they should be allowed to.

The troublesome minority just need to learn how to drink sensibly and behave themselves.