NOT one Worcestershire pub will apply for round-the-clock drinking under relaxed licensing laws starting today, a government Minister has predicted.

Licensing Minister Richard Caborn said a survey of 30,500 pubs and bars found no landlords planning to apply for 24-hour opening.

From today, every pub and club in the city will have six months to apply for a new drinks licence with their local authority, requesting the hours they would like to open.

In a survey released on Friday, almost two-thirds of police officers said they feared the move to all-hours drinking would cause a surge in alcohol-related violence.

But, speaking to the Evening News, Mr Caborn said there was no appetite among pub owners to remain open 24-hours-a-day and he insisted the reforms would crack-down on binge-drinkers and rogue pubs.

"I think people will look back in a few years and say what was all the fuss about?" he said.

"A survey of some 30,500 venues by the British Beer and Pub Association showed no pub or bar would open for 24 hours.

"The only one we know about is a sports bar in London."

He blames the surge in recent years of booze-related violence has been caused by the 11pm closing times.

The reforms will see the six current licences streamlined into one overall licence which does not need to be re-applied for each year.

The Government wants local authorities to have issued the new licences to every pub and club by November.