The drinks industry is being urged to take responsibility for crime

The comments from Ken Jones follow the decision by council leaders in Brighton to permit 24-hour drinking in the city.

He said noise, disorder and a degraded environment were the consequences of late-night drinking.

The drinks industry must take full responsibility for the crime associated with alcohol consumption, he said.

Under new government legislation due to come into effect next year, Brighton and Hove City Council will become responsible for its licensing laws.

Ken Jones fears crime will be fuelled by longer drinking hours

It plans to offer pubs and clubs the chance to apply for all-night licences, but denies the move will exacerbate the problems of binge-drinking.

Don Turner, chairman of the council's licensing committee, said a public consultation had indicated the changes would be good for the city.

"It is our priority to make a safer city.

"The new legislation will give us more control to tackle binge and under-age drinking as well as giving more choice to the owners of pubs, clubs and the general public," he said.

Last month, the Association of Chief Police Officers warned the government that the proposed changes in licensing legislation could lead to rising violence unless binge drinking was curbed.

The chief constable of Sussex, Ken Jones, said the new laws would help to manage the disorder, but he warned: "If we are not careful, we could end up with the worst of both worlds."