New licences are needed under the Licencing Act 2003

New licences are needed by about 200,000 establishments from then under the Licensing Act 2003.

But Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) say up to 10% may have failed to apply.

Police say they will use the failure of some of those to target unlicensed premises associated with crime.

Lacors, the London Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) have issued a joint statement about enforcing the act.

It calls for local authorities and the police to take a "proportionate, risk-based and targeted approach" to premises operating without a licence.

'Effective' partnership

Police and councils should "prioritise those premises which are causing problems for communities, the statement says.

Lacors chairman Geoffrey Theobald said: "It is anticipated that between 0 and 10% of premises that require a licence will not have applied for one.

"This framework highlights the need for effective local partnership work and for any action that is taken to be decided on a case-by-case basis."

A Lacors spokesman said that, because of the scale of the changeover to the new licensing system, not all licences would have been issued in time for Thursday.

Police will use this to deal with those premises that are operating illegally Acpo Laws 'will increase arrests'

But it was unlikely premises that had applied for a licence would be targeted "unless levels of crime, disorder, nuisance or anti-social behaviour are of concern".

An Acpo spokeswoman said police forces would use the failure of some premises to obtain a licence to target trouble spots.

"Police will use this to deal with those premises that are operating illegally," she said.

"All police forces are in the middle of a campaign where they're clamping down, not only on underage drinking, but also on irresponsible drinking premises."

'Major job'

Acpo has endorsed British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) advice for pubs that have yet to receive their licence.

It's been an extremely costly and complicated operation costing each licensee about �2,000 per pub for meeting the conditions of application BBPA

BBPA spokesman Neil Williams said: "We've issued some guidance that summarises the position if the premises have applied for a licence but the local authority hasn't issued it."

The Licensing Act contains the provision that "the holder of a premises licence commits an offence if he fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply".

"There can be no more reasonable excuse than the fact that the local authority has not sent the relevant documents to the premise licence holder," the guidance says.

"We therefore recommend that where the premises licence has been applied for and granted, the premises should operate under that licence, albeit the local authority has not issued it by 24 November."

Mr Williams said changing over to the new licences had been "a major job".

"It's been an extremely costly and complicated operation costing each licensee about �2,000 per pub for meeting the conditions of application," he added.