Could happy hour finally be coming to an end? JO HAYWOOD investigates the viability of price-fixing in York pubs.

TOUGH new measures like price-fixing and an annual landlords' levy could be introduced if city centre pubs do not voluntarily co-operate to curb booze-induced brawls.

But is binge-drinking necessarily the result of bargain beers and spirits?

Geoff Henman, pubs officer for the York branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), does not think so. Price, he said, is not the be-all and end-all for drinkers.

"I can't honestly see a time when every pub in the city centre will charge the same price for a pint," he said. "Customers don't just pay for the beer, they pay for the night out."

If the Government wanted to take action on price, Mr Henman suggested it should consider banning special offers such as "three for the price of one" or "buy one, get one free".

"We are a nation of bargain hunters," he said. "If you see three shirts for the price of one, you'll buy them whether you need a shirt or not. The same thing goes for alcohol."

The Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, launched by the Prime Minister's strategy unit on Monday, outlined plans to review alcohol advertising, labelling, city centre planning, pub layouts and the increased use of exclusion orders and fines on drunks.

Mike Benner, head of national campaigns and communications for CAMRA, welcomed the strategy as a way for pub chains to get more involved with local communities, and rid city centres of their growing reputation as no-go areas for anyone over the age of 25 after dark.

"Participation in the Government's 'code of good conduct' schemes is voluntary and it is essential that the industry rises to this challenge," he said. "If it doesn't, then legislation is likely to be the result."

Legislation could include an annual levy of up to £10,000 paid by landlords to help fund extra policing - a move welcomed in principle by Mr Henman, with the proviso that it was on a sliding scale taking into account pub size and location.

But the Government's message is not all about price-fixing, levies and fines. Image, it seems, is an important factor if pubs want to put a stop to binge drinking and attract a wider range of more responsible drinkers.

"The emphasis in pub design needs to move away from large drinking halls with few seats," said Mr Benner. "It is these conditions which fuel speed drinking and exclude older people.

"More pubs need to offer a relaxed environment with seating and amenities to attract a better mix of people, both young and old."

PC David Boag, York licensing officer, welcomes the new strategy, but believes it will take time to change the nation's binge-drinking culture.

He said: "A lot of it is what we are already doing and other cities are playing catch up, if you like. We have had these things in place for quite some time.

"If you go abroad, people can drink 24 hours a day, and yet you only hear about the Brits binge-drinking. I think it will take at least one generation, possibly two, to change the way the British public drink."

Updated: 10:37 Friday, March 19, 2004