Licensing law is “stacked against councils and residents”, officials in Brighton and Hove say.

Despite high levels of alcohol-related hospital admissions in the city, there are 1,378 licensed premises in Brighton and Hove, 142 of which can open 24 hours a day.

City council leader Mary Mears yesterday slammed the “binge-drinking” culture and vowed to support proposed changes to licensing law.

The comments come as figures show nearly 90% of applications for new premises in Brighton and Hove's cumulative impact zone - the area designed to control the number of licensed premises in the city - have been approved in the last two years.

Coun Mears said she backed the raft of proposals put forward by Home Secretary Theresa May.

These include banning retailers from selling drinks at below cost price and allowing councils to charge pubs and clubs an extra fee if they want to stay open late.