LANDLORDS in York have backed claims by MPs that the Government's handling of the introduction of new drinking laws was a "bureaucratic shambles".

The law change, brought into force last November, was so disorganised that pub and club owners had very little time to apply for new licences. Meanwhile, councils across the country found themselves inundated with applications to consider.

Anita Adams, landlady of the Golden Slipper pub, in Goodramgate, is still outraged by the way in which licensees were treated. She attacked the Government for being "absolutely useless" and spoke of the immense "stress" involved in the application process.

She said: "We have been very shabbily treated by this Government. They are typical bullies and have treated pub owners like criminals. They never spoke properly to licensees about the new legislation and our decision as to what opening hours we would need had to made totally in the dark.

"It was an ill-thought-out, rushed piece of legislation. The Government gave councils and landlords very little time to put into action what it decreed. City of York Council had to make decisions about what was going to go into its council policy before even the Government had decided. It was a botch-up job by the Government."

Trevor King, landlord of the Fulford Arms, in Fulford Road, and chairman of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, said: "The legislation was rushed through far too quickly and nobody thought it through properly. It was the blind leading the blind. The Government didn't get enough information out to the councils and in consequence, the councils couldn't provide licensees with any true information."

John Lacy, the acting licensing manager for City of York Council, agreed the Government's handling of the law change did have many "shortcomings".

He said: "Guidance and regulations were late coming out and the legislation was certainly rushed."

The Council had 366 applications for late licences to consider and each one had to be thoroughly examined.

Mr Lacy said: "For the council, it was a very stressful time. We had to employ a number of new staff to implement the new Act and we struggled to get through all the applications on time. On many occasions we were working late into the night and sitting every day on licensing hearings."

However, the council has been praised by York's landlords for the way in which it coped with the situation. Mrs Adams said: "The council was magnificent.

"It rose to the challenge in trying to interpret the essence of what was required and on the whole, it did very well.

"It made our life much easier as pub owners."

Critics now fear the Government will make the same mistakes when it introduces the new gambling laws, which will allow "super casinos" in Britain for the first time.

Updated: 11:39 Monday, March 20, 2006