Bridgnorth mother starts petition to end 24-hour licensing laws

A Bridgnorth mother plagued by late-night drunks has started an online petition calling for an end to 24-hour licensing laws.

Janet Smith, who lives in Cartway, had water poured into her house through an open window this week. Others in the street say yobs have urinated on their homes and damaged property.

And one neighbour said she had excrement pushed through her letterbox.

Now Mrs Smith has started a national campaign to change the current 24-hour licensing laws, which have allowed bars and clubs to stay open until the early hours of the morning in Bridgnorth.

The e-petition calls on the Government to review current licensing laws and is asking residents to sign up to the campaign.

She says the current system whereby local councils grant extensions to licences without consulting the local police who walk the beat was flawed.

She said: "I'm not blaming the police, they have been doing their best and I think they deserve a medal.

"But there's just not enough of them to cope with late night licence extensions and nightclubs in a town like Bridgnorth.

"Local police who actually police the area don't get a direct say in the licensing hours – applications get sent to a civilian officer to deal with and it's just not right. The laws need changing."

If Mrs Smith's campaign to 'reclaim Britain's towns' takes off and the petition gets 100,000 signatures, by law it must be debated in the House of Commons.

Residents of Cartway, St Mary's Street and Listley Street have put up with numerous problems caused by late night revellers in recent months, including noise, windows broken and doors damaged.

Just days after starting the online petition, Mrs Smith says her home was targeted yet again in the late-night water attack.

"It really frightened my daughter," she said.

"It's almost like people have started to accept this unacceptable behaviour and that shouldn't be the case.

"I have had enough of this now and I'm not letting it go. I might not get anywhere with it but at least I'm trying to get something done."

To view the petition, visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/14699

The public have until November 25 to sign it.