Cup of cheer for pubs

There has been a flood of Wyre Forest applications for early opening following a High Court ruling which decided the football extravaganza in Japan and South Korea next month was a special event and met the criteria for licensing extensions.

But permission to open in time for matches kicking off at 7am will be left to licensing magistrates who will take into account police objections on the suitability of premises.

The first applications will be heard today when Jacksons and the King William in Kidderminster, and the Bay Horse at Stourport will go for longer hours for the games involving England.

The Broadwaters Inn, Red Lion at Cookley and Horn and Trumpet at Bewdley will apply on May 10 while it will be the turn of Bewdley's Great Western on May 16. More applications are expected.

A magistrates' court spokeswoman said: "Generally the applications are for 7am onwards to cover the early kick-off with some arranging quiz events as well."

However, Kidderminster Police licensing officer John Bulmer issued a word of warning.

"It does not automatically follow that all applications will be granted. Police will oppose these orders where they consider it to be appropriate and trust that magistrates will exercise their discretion in the public interest," he said.

Simon Andrews, of Jacksons, said for 7am games he planned to stay open until 9.30am and close for an hour-and-a-half before re-opening.

"We are applying for three England group games initially and then others as hopefully England progress. They will be ticket-only events within our capacity of 150 and we will have door staff on duty.

"We are geared up for football with our big screens but it is not all about drinking and we will be serving breakfast rolls and snacks," he said.

The recent landmark High Court ruling in which Lord Woolf said the World Cup was a special event followed an appeal from a Bristol pub whose initial application was turned down on the grounds that televised football did not rank as a special occasion.