Home Office Research Report 05 - Early experiences of the Licensing Act 2003 in the East of England and Yorkshire and the Humber regions

Summary
Appendix A: Numbers and methods
Appendix B: Levels and timing of crime and disorder

This paper examines the early experiences of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 in two Government Office regions, specifically a sample of market towns in the East of England and a mix of towns in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. In both regions a mixed methods approach was used including: qualitative interviews with police, licensing officers, licensees and CDRP representatives; examination of licensing applications; and quantitative data analysis of police recorded crime figures in the first six months of the Act. It discusses the take up and use of the extended licensing hours, where most of the licensees interviewed had applied for license extensions. An analysis of the police recorded crime data revealed a mixed picture in the two regions, with both increases and decreases noted in the towns examined. However, the results should be treated with caution as the crime types examined were often proxies for alcohol-related crime, the levels were small and they could be subject to fluctuation due to police activity. The main change experienced in some towns was a shift in the patterns of alcohol related crime, with peak periods flattening or moving to later in the night.