BOLTON boozers could soon enjoy late night drinking on a Sunday for the first time if two town centre bars get their way.

Bar Retro, in Mealhouse Lane, and Club Temple and Mondo, in St George's Street, have applied to the town's licensing magistrates for permission to extend their opening hours.

It follows new Government legislation which came into force earlier this month clearing the way for late drinking on Sundays.

Both bars have applied to extend their opening hours on Sundays to 12.30am or 2am when there is a bank holiday the next day.

And they look set to get their way because no objections have been received by the magistrates from either the police or the public.

That is despite Greater Manchester Police recently running a campaign against drinking which points out the link between alcohol and crime.

But Chief Inspector Alan Greene, of Bolton police, said: "The matter is one for the licensing justices but these applications do comply with the law.

"It does strike me though if people haven't had enough to drink on Friday and Saturday and feel the need to drink on Sunday - what state will they be in by Monday morning?"

Under the new legislation bars with late licenses can apply to extend their drinking hours on Sundays into the early hours.

On days preceeding Bank Holidays that can be extended to 2am apart from on Easter Sunday which will remain at 12.30am.

Under the old rules drinking up time on a Sunday was 10.30pm regardless of whether bars had a late licence for the rest of the week.

The applicants will go before the licensing magistrates on Wednesday. BOLTON boozers could soon enjoy late night drinking on a Sunday for the first time if two town centre bars get their way.

Bar Retro, in Mealhouse Lane, and Club Temple and Mondo, in St George's Street, have applied to the town's licensing magistrates for permission to extend their opening hours.

It follows new Government legislation which came into force earlier this month clearing the way for late drinking on Sundays.

Both bars have applied to extend their opening hours on Sundays to 12.30am or 2am when there is a bank holiday the next day.

And they look set to get their way because no objections have been received by the magistrates from either the police or the public.

That is despite Greater Manchester Police recently running a campaign against drinking which points out the link between alcohol and crime.

But Chief Inspector Alan Greene, of Bolton police, said: "The matter is one for the licensing justices but these applications do comply with the law.

"It does strike me though if people haven't had enough to drink on Friday and Saturday and feel the need to drink on Sunday - what state will they be in by Monday morning?"

Under the new legislation bars with late licenses can apply to extend their drinking hours on Sundays into the early hours.

On days preceeding Bank Holidays that can be extended to 2am apart from on Easter Sunday which will remain at 12.30am.

Under the old rules drinking up time on a Sunday was 10.30pm regardless of whether bars had a late licence for the rest of the week.

The applicants will go before the licensing magistrates on Wednesday.