Edinburgh pubs allowed to open late for all World Cup matches

Pubs and bars in Edinburgh will be able to stay open through the night for World Cup football matches this summer.

The city's licensing board has granted an extension lasting until 30 minutes after the final whistle for all matches during the tournament, which is being held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Scotland's first match of the competition is against Haiti on 14 June with a kick-off time of 02:00 BST and the following two games - against Morocco and Brazil - start at 23:00.

The general extension will take effect from the tournament's first day on 11 June and run until the final on 19 July.

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) previously called for licensing boards to show "flexibility" and let premises stay open.

A number of other matches during the tournament kick off at 03:00 and 05:00, meaning some venues could stay open until after 07:00.

Pubs and bars need to notify the council if they plan to stay open late, and will have to serve alcohol and have the showing of live TV included in their operating plan to be granted the extension.