BOOZE could soon be on sale 24-hours-a-day in York - but only for night owls prepared to head to out-of-town supermarkets.

Two chains with stores at Clifton Moor, Huntington and Askham Bar have applied to sell alcohol around the clock under the new Licensing Act.

It would mean that customers would be able to buy beer, wine and spirits for consumption at home whenever they choose to shop at the stores.

If approved, shoppers would be able to buy alcohol at almost any time from ASDA, in the Monks Cross shopping Park, and Tesco, at Clifton Moor, as they open without a break from Monday at 8am to Saturday at 10pm. Meanwhile, visitors to Tesco at Askham Bar would be able to buy drinks when it opens from 8am on Thursday to 10pm on Saturday. The store closes at 10pm Monday to Wednesday.

Speaking about the ASDA application, Huntington councillor Keith Hyman, who has sat on the city's licensing panel, said he had no problem with the extra buying time. He said the fears many people had over extra drinking time at pubs and bars in busy city centre streets do not apply to the supermarkets.

He said: "These days people often work long hours or shifts and want to be able to shop at their convenience.

"If someone wants to buy a few cans of beer or a bottle of wine with their groceries I can't see why they shouldn't be able to. The law certainly needs changing in that respect."

An ASDA spokeswoman said the majority of the group's stores are on the fringes of cities where people drive to get their shopping, not small convenience stores or high street stores in town centres.

She said: "It does seem ludicrous that our customers can't buy a bottle of wine at the same time as doing the rest of their weekly shop, whatever time that might be.

"We're sure customers would appreciate the added convenience extended licensing hours could bring and it is something we're considering."

A Tesco spokeswoman said: customers want to buy alcohol as part of their weekly shop and the extra licensing hours will make shopping even more convenient for them.

Updated: 08:35 Wednesday, August 03, 2005