Binge drinking has been blamed for increases in violent crime

Local councils would be expected to review the renewal of licences at troublesome venues, he told police chiefs at their annual conference.

Venues are being asked to voluntarily obey a code to reduce disorder before 24-hour drinking is expected next year.

Mr Blunkett wants pubs to ban cheap promotions and encourage safe drinking.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is warning a relaxation of licensing laws could lead to an increase in violent crime.

It is possible now for both the police and local authorities to intervene to close down an establishment over the weekend David Blunkett

But the government argues it would ease disorder by tackling binge drinking, which contributes to a �20bn annual bill for alcohol misuse.

When speaking to reporters at the conference in Birmingham, Mr Blunkett said: "The licensing laws themselves will give greater power to local authorities, taken together with the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, which will enable the immediate closure.

"The public would expect us to act if the industry does not play ball."

The government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy is being introduced ahead of round-the-clock drinking.

Security marshals

Mr Blunkett hopes brewers and retailers will volunteer to ban cut-price drink promotions, which he said could encourage young people to "get themselves into difficulty".

He also wants venues to promote safe drinking levels and contribute to the cost of providing marshals to keep the peace in city centres at closing time.

Blunkett told police chiefs relaxed laws would ease disorder

Earlier, speaking on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he defended plans to relax licensing laws, insisting that turning thousands of drinkers on to the streets at the same time created a "very major public order issue".

But Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, said members would object to being asked to fund initiatives to curb problems caused by alcohol.

He said: "I don't see why it's necessary. Licensees pay their rates for public services, so why should they have to pay extra for police who should already be there to cover the situation?"

'Worse ahead'

Acpo's president Chris Fox argued that his members "cannot deal with binge drinking - it is beyond police capability".

"We have to attack the behaviour," he told Today.

"Unless we can stop young people drinking to excess in crowded clubs, the symptoms - what they do when they come out - will get worse."

The association is also warning that the ready availability of weapons and ammunition is likely to lead to an increase in gun crime in the future.