QUESTIONS have been asked about whether Derby's late-night drinking culture is working after the latest in a series of serious violent incidents in the city centre.
Two men suffered facial injuries in two separate alleged assaults in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Parts of the Strand and Sadler Gate were cordoned off until nearly 10am as police investigated.
In the wake of the latest trouble, a senior councillor with responsibility for licensing issues said pubs and clubs should be made to shut at midnight.
And shoppers said they would also like to see licensing hours cut from their current 4am for some premises.
Tory councillor Frank Harwood, a member of the council's licensing panel and regularly chairman of licensing general sub-committees, said Labour's changes to the licensing laws in 2005 had been a failure.
The 11pm closing time was swept away and pubs and bars were allowed to apply to stay open 24 hours.
Mr Harwood said: "As far as I'm concerned, I think it's absolutely ridiculous that bars are open until times like 4am in the morning.
"4am, for example, is far too early in the morning. It puts pressure on the police and I think that's unfair.
"Trying to bring us in line with continental hours has proved not to be the right thing to do. In my opinion, midnight is late enough."
But Paul Bayliss, Labour leader of Derby City Council, said: "These were two isolated incidents. The council works with the police to ensure that the city is safe. Around 30,000 people come to the city on a Friday and Saturday night and the majority of them get home safe."
And he said of the attackers involved in yesterday's incidents: "One has to think they were probably fuelled by alcohol."
In the first incident, police believe a 19-year-old man was hit on the head, dragged down Sadler Gate and then kicked and punched repeatedly at about 2.30am. Police said he was not seriously injured.
Then, shortly after 6am, police were called to reports of a "massive fight" in the Strand, where they found a 27-year-old man with a large cut on the left side of his face.
Cordons were put up around the Strand and Sadler Gate to investigate the second incident and these were not finally removed until 9.45am.
Later in the day, some shoppers using the city centre said bar opening hours should be cut.
What time do you think bars and clubs in Derby should stop selling alcohol? Have your say in our poll, rightDavid Price, 50, of Darley Abbey, said: "I think they should close at 11pm. I try to avoid Derby on Friday and Saturday nights."
Katherine Chapman, 48, of Milford, said: "I think midnight is late enough."
And Alexandria Smith, 25, of Alfreton, said she felt safer in Derby than any other city, but that the latest bars should stay open is 3am.
Readers took to the Derby Telegraph website to voice their opinions on the incidents. One person said: "There is absolutely no reason for city centre bars to be open until 4am. It just causes these kind of problems. Shut everything at 2am."
Another said: "Derby does have a problem with drunks, violent conduct, vomiting and urinating in the streets but this does seem to be Britain today."
Yesterday's incidents were the latest in a spate of violent attacks in Derby city centre in recent months.
On August 18, police had to deal with what they described as a "serious incident of disorder" in Curzon Street. On September 14, four people suffered knife wounds in another incident in the city centre.
And, on October 6, three men were stabbed in three separate attacks in various parts of the city centre.
Yesterday, Chief Superintendent Jack Atwal, who is in charge of policing in Derby, South Derbyshire and Erewash, said: "We are investigating both of the offences that were reported to us. Although both men received facial injuries, neither of them is thought to have life-changing injuries.
"So far, neither of them has co-operated with the police investigation."
He said extra police patrols are on city centre streets over the holiday period to tackle troublemakers.
Alan Charles, Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, insisted the city centre is still a safe place to visit.
He said: "The police, local authority and others, will concentrate on those who are involved in these problems to make sure it does not impact on other people."
Mr Charles said "issues relating to alcohol" would be discussed at a meeting he was attending with chairs of the licensing committee in February.
