Unhappy hour

ALEX Attwood has barely his feet beneath the DSD table and his is planning a radical overhaul of Northern Ireland’s booze laws.

Tackling cheap beer offers at below cost price, a clampdown on drinking establishments with disorder problems and stronger powers to check customers’ ages are among the ideas being touted.

With the prevalence of alcohol addiction and health problems these are all measures to be welcomed.

But, one has to wonder if there is an idea at Stormont that the streets of Northern Ireland can become café culture byways where civilised and ultimately well behaved throngs will sip chilled Sancerre with petit meals and cultured quips.

Unfortunately it is not likely.

And Mr Attwood would do well to remember that a certain amount of drinkers partake to help obliterate thoughts of what passes for politics here...