Revellers expecting unlimited drinks on Millennium Eve face disappointment after York licensees were warned by police to carefully monitor drinkers or face restrictions.

Police told licensees at a meeting held at the racecourse that pubs and clubs offering Millennium Eve tickets that include unlimited drinks could have restrictions on opening times and alcohol slapped on them.

Superintendent John Lacy told licensees: "Some of you may be going for all-inclusive tickets. The point we make is that you don't serve anyone who is drunk."

Anyone, be it residents or businesses neighbouring licensed premises, can try to make a restriction order through the courts if they have genuine concerns about a licensed premises.

This would mean that the establishment would be forced to close early, before midnight, or be made to impose restrictions on drink.

PC Arthur Swain, York's licensing officer, said: "There is something in the new regulation bill, which has been looked at by the association of chief police officers, and that is the imposing of a restriction order.

"Anyone who has concerns about a pub can ask the courts to impose a restriction.

"Where publicans have ticket-only events which include, as it were, 'free' drinks, a restriction order can be imposed."

Tickets costing £50 to £75 could be sold for York's pubs, with no further charge for drink.

Police are concerned that this would mean unlimited alcohol is available and that would lead to increased safety risks.

Superintendent Gary Barnett, commander for the York and Selby area, stressed that a restriction order would only be imposed if there were genuine concerns about a pub and that they could be proved.

He said: "You have got to make out to a court a reasonable case for a restriction order."

He added that such an order would only be imposed on "renegade" landlords who shirked their responsibilities in ensuring drinkers' safety by letting people who had clearly had enough, continue drinking.

Alan Coleman, manager at McMillans and Merlins in Rougier Street, said he had taken on board the warnings issued at the meeting, but confirmed that the bars were planning to have an all-inclusive Millennium ticket.

He said: "We have started selling tickets. We monitor how much people drink in our premises and in our next Millennium meeting this topic will be brought up.

"We are considering introducing some form of restriction on drinks in the form of tokens or vouchers to make sure people don't have too much."

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