Pubs and clubs get festive extension

SHETLAND’s pubs have been given the green light to stay open to 2am during the festive period.

Nightclubs which already stay open to 3am at the weekends will also be able to do so on any day from 22 December to 6 January.

Shetland’s licensing board is asked every year whether it wants to approve the general extension for licensed premises, and on Wednesday it gave the green light for this festive season.

The licensing extension has been granted since 2013/14 – but between 2010 and 2012 the board decided against approving it.

Councillors were told that the board had not received any application from individual licence holders for extensions for this holiday period, but the local licensed trade association had made an informal inquiry.

Lerwick councillor Cecil Smith said that while there had been no issues with the extension over the years, he noted that the “biggest problem is drinking at home”.