drinking up time

[madnessxx]

If the last bell is rung in a uk pub at 11pm, what time must you leave the pub by?

[Yorkie580]

Whenever the licensee or their agent tells you to. This could be before the bell or without a bell.

Before the shake up of the licensing laws, 20 minutes drinking up time was allowed, but this was a maximum of twenty minutes AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LICENSEE.

More people get forcibly removed for refusing to leave when asked to by staff than do by getting involved in punch ups or drug taking.

Unfortunately ignorance of the law is no excuse so despite the common misconceptions and misunderstanding of the law, you are not "within your rights" to refuse to leave until you've finished your drink.

[milly143]

It might be different now with the new 24 hour laws but you used to get 10 minutes after time was called to finish your drink. I don't believe there is a restriction on how long you can stay in the building, as long you don't have a drink you purchased after those 10 minutes.

[Grunty]

Millie143 - I wonder how you would feel if someone said that about your home or place of work. The pub will have set its opening hours, but the licensee or agent can ask you to leave at any time, just as Yorkie says.

[kempie]

The Licensing Act 2003 stipulates that a Premises Licence summary (Part B) must be prominently displayed at the licensed premises. This will give details of the times that licensable activities (e.g. the supply of alcohol) are authorised along with the hours when the premises are open to the public. The licensee has the discretion to close at any time prior to the proscribed closing time as they see fit.

[dannydingbat]

Several of these replies are more or less right. The applicant for a Premises Licence stipulates on his application the time to which alcohol will be sold and any different times when the public will be on the premises. It could be 30 minutes or an hour or even longer either after or before the alcohol is sold. However, two things arise. Firstly, many licences were transferred under Grandfather Rights without amendment and the previous terms still apply (20 minutes drinking up or 30 where special provisions apply). There is, however, nothing to stop the landlord having people in his premises 24 hours a day so long as they aren't drinking alcohol. Second, the law now licenses only the sale of alcohol, not its consumption. So, if all the public are doing is drinking beer they bought earlier, it is open to question whether, if this is beyond the stated time, an offence has been committed. This has not yet been tested in court.

[milly143]

Grunty - I meant by law. There is no law stating that you have to have left by a certain time. Obviously the publican cant get rid of you whenever they want.

[Yorkie580]

The licensee can legally request you leave at any time (same with shops, private homes etc) and if you refuse to leave you become a trepasser.

Th issues arise over how long people can legally stay and drink, and whether they've been asked to leave. They are two separate issues but most people don't realise it.

If you refuse to leave you can be removed using "reasonable force" (ie thrown out).

[lee_3178]

Whenever you are told. The licensee does not need a reason to ask you to leave the 20 minutes drinking up time was for the licensee not for the customer

[lee_3178]

You must leave the pub when the licensee asks you. The old 20 mins drinking time was for the licensee ie he/she wasnt allowed by law to have people drinking in the pub 20 mins after time is called. But now its common practise to politely inform people before the buy the last drinks that the bar is closing at X o clock and they will need to finish drinks by X amount of minutes after