by Lucy Britner
Frustrated licensees who back the Morning Advertiser's campaign to 'Lay off my Local' are increasingly fed up with the hysterical coverage of licensing reform in the national media.
Reports suggesting people will now spend 24 hours in the pub, drinking themselves into oblivion have been proved unfounded in the successful first two weeks of the new regime.
Kevin Maidens, licensee at Wolverhampton & Dudley outlet the Blue Bell in Bolsover, Derbyshire, said: 'It's a shame that fear of losing readers or viewers prompts reporters to react like this.'
Maidens has printed leaflets for his customers explaining exactly what the new law means for the Blue Bell. He feels the press have just confused people.
'I had to make these leaflets,' he said, 'because some people just assumed everywhere would be open 24 hours and someone would wave a magic wand and we wouldn't have to do anything.
'So far, I've handed out 150 leaflets. People only have a certain amount of money to spend, they still have to go to work and we still have to sleep.'
Paul Wood, licensee at Pub-folio outlet the Sow & Pigs, West Bromwich, West Midlands, holds the only 24-hour pub licence in the area.
'I didn't have any objections apart from when I stated I wanted to play music,' he said. 'I had to amend the form because authorities said I might play it during unsociable hours. I told them I still need to sleep at night!'
The Sow & Pigs darts team were the first to sign the MA petition. 'All I did was explain the situation and they signed it straight away,' said Wood.
He added: 'At the end of the day people only have so much money to spend, they still want to go home to their families and aren't going to sit in the pub around the clock. And I'm not going to open around the clock.'
l To get involved in the MA's 'Lay off my Local' campaign, download a poster and petition form from www.morningadvertiser.co.uk and when you've collected enough signatures, post it to the address on page 13. Please make sure you include your pub's name and address when you send it in.