PRESTON police and borough councillors are supporting calls for extended drinking hours at New Year.

Pubs and clubs in the town could enjoy extended opening hours similar to those for the millennium celebrations, if government proposals get the green light.

Inspector Dave Aston, police patrol inspector in Preston, said the town's millennium celebrations passed off without incident.

"We would look at this with interest. It can be a good thing if it's sensibly applied and it helps to separate out the times that people go out and leave the pubs it can help.

"In Preston we are used to dealing with large volumes of revellers. We do object sometimes to applications for extensions, but if we know well in advance what's going to happen we normally don't object."

And the proposals have also gained the backing of Preston borough councillors.

Members of the environmental protection and licensing committee met last Friday and discussed not only new year arrangements, but also a government suggestion that pubs be allowed a two-hour extension on June 3 next year to mark the Queen's 50th jubilee.

Coun John Browne, chairman of the environmental protection and licensing committee, said: "The council supports the extended opening hours for New Year's Eve.

"It worked well during the millennium and we want to see if the extended hours will work for a normal New Year's Eve.

"The council and the police will be monitoring the situation and if everything goes well it may mean more relaxed opening hours for future new years."

The government proposals for a new year trial are a direct result of the concerns of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Magistrates' Associations licensing committee.

Both parties claim the millennium celebration is not a good enough basis for relaxed drinking hours every new year, because that was a unique celebration.

A report issued to borough council committee members said: "Both associations support a further 'one-off trial'. The government has accepted this view and proposes that New Year's Eve/New Year's Day 2001/2002 should provide a suitable test."

It is also thought that deregulation would ease the workload for police and courts of applications from venues for extensions.