A senior licensing councillor is calling for a review of new late-night drinking hours which have caused crime to soar.

Councillor Lynda Hyde, deputy chairwoman of Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing committee, was "deeply concerned" by a report in The Argus that drink-related crime has increased 80 per cent since 24-hour opening was introduced in the city last November.

Residents groups such as the Kingscliffe Society in Kemptown and the East Brunswick Residents Association said the relaxed pub and club hours were causing widespread early-hours nuisance and disturbance in residential city centre areas.

Under the Licensing Act 2003 the council now has the power to revoke licenses at pubs and clubs where late hours are causing problems for residents.

Conservative Coun Hyde said she had not been informed about the increase in crime and complaints by residents groups.

Kingscliffe Society chairman Roger Rolfe raised his concerns at a meeting of the city's licensing strategy group, which is made up of council officers, police, residents' groups, pub landlords and other interested parties.

Coun Hyde replied: "I am exceedingly disappointed this knowledge has not been shared with me.

"The licensing committee has the facility to review individual licences and in view of your report maybe the time is right to review some of them.

"It is my intention to request a meeting with the police and the residents groups you mention."

The city council's licensing committee has granted about 400 applications for hours extensions since last September and rejected just five.

Unlike many local authorities it has no "cumulative impact" policy on the wider effects of new late hours such as crime, anti-social behaviour, noise and disturbance for householders in and around the city centre.

Jeanne Lepper, Labour, chairwoman of the committee, said: "I am also concerned if public nuisance is up and people are being kept awake at night but I am not 100 per cent convinced it is all a result of the Licensing Act.

"There are other factors and what really concerns me is under-age street drinking and where children are getting access to alcohol."

Coun Hyde said it was time for the council to consider a cumulative impact policy.

She added: "It is definitely something we need to think about and we have until October 2007 to revise our policies.

"First we have to wait for new Government guidelines on the Licensing Act which we understand are expected by the end of the year."

In the meantime she encouraged residents with complaints about individual premises to write to the council and promised each complaint would be carefully considered.

She added: "We have more power than ever to review licences and if necessary remove them whereas before it was a very difficult and drawn-out process."