AN ATTEMPT is to be made to calm down late-night disorder in Dursley - by having one of the nightclubs stay open for longer.

It is a fair bet that when all the options for reducing such problems were considered, allowing clubs to stay open longer would not have been at the forefront of people's minds.

As with all such ideas, the theory of the initiative works a treat. Revellers will now appear on the streets spread over a longer time, diluting the potential for disorder in Parsonage Street. Those emerging from Capone's will have enjoyed an hours chill-out, hopefully less susceptible to causing trouble as they have been in the past.

All very commendable in theory, but in reality it is difficult to see much changing.

As long as landlords have called "Time, gentlemen, please!" there has been a rush to the bar to get an extra pint in for the 20-minute drinking up period. With an extra hour tagged onto the regular opening times just think how many more drinks could be bought in the run-up to 2am.

Then there is the question of whether the take-away or the taxi drivers are prepared to work later to fit in with the change.

Any reduction in disorder is, of course, welcome. But this particular initiative might be just a little too fanciful, though we would love to be proved wrong.