THE British pub was the envy of the world. Countries tried to import it, we tried to export it.

What made it so special? The licensing laws. The entire country went mellow at the same time, for the last hour, old and young were in the same place at the same time. The laws were clear, understood and, in the main, obeyed.

Police, licensees and the public knew exactly where they were and in certain areas -- say near markets in big cities -- different hours applied. And this system mostly worked well and if people wanted to continue to drink there were clubs, etc.

Now, we have a late night economy, where all the pubs are to a theme, catering for the young. All drinks are targeting the young -- Wicked, Hooch, Cool, Two for one.

There are no older customers out late to give a balance, no older customers out early because the pubs are dead from 7-9.30pm. So another great British institution bites the dust.

So with the longer hours there will be greater overheads, dearer drinks, less custom, because of poor financial return licensees with less standing, with less experience and control. Police with more rules and regulations are not sure what pub has what licence for what hours. And if the authorities think for one moment that this will make for a diversity of the hours that young people leave the areas of delight, they are living in cloud cuckoo land.

Young people -- and they are the ones who will be out -- want to be in the same place at the same time and they will not leave the 'scene' until all hope of meeting that certain someone has gone.

Do we want our young people out roaming the streets at four in the morning, drunk -- for, rest assured, that is what will happen. The proposals may be OK for one or two major cities, but for the majority of small towns we are just stoking up a lot of trouble.

Can we save the pub? I doubt it. Can we help our young people? We can try.

I own and successfully run pubs, discos, night clubs and have done for the past 30 years, so I do know a little about the business and about young people.

I must ask have the changes to date been a benefit? Have our pubs been better? Our streets safer? I think not.

Alcohol is a drug, a very powerful one and we are treating it far too lightly. I feel hypocritical as I make my living from the sale of it, but it does not blind me to its dangers. We are hesitating and debating about making the sale of other drugs legal, yet here we are flinging out all controls on this one.

So I urge all those in power, the great and the good, to stop and think. More is not always better.

MARGO CARMICHAEL-GRIMSHAW, Grimshaw Partnership, (Never Never Land, Khaz Bar, C'est La Vie, Bar Ibiza, Dun Horse, Generations, etc), Blackburn.