• I WONDERED how long it would take for the Soho and other central London bars to use the excuse of having had a thin financial time since lockdown to seek permission to open until 5am.

Predictable greed, any excuse! Their staff were well supported during lockdown by the government furlough payments and business grants which taxpayers will soon have to pay back through increased tax and national insurance.

Westminster (and Camden) councils were slow to find the courage to devise their “core hours” policies. Now that they have been well established, they have made a great difference to the quality of life of residents.

The current opening hours are a balance between businesses and residents. Businesses know the rules, they know the restrictions. If they don’t like them, why not open businesses elsewhere?

I travel regularly to France and it is myth that bars open at all hours in Europe. Very few bars in central Paris or Amsterdam, for instance, stay open later than midnight or 1am at weekends.

There are late opening dicos but these are always on the edges of towns and cities in former factory units, away from residents. We don’t have scope for these in Westminster.

Why should 50 or perhaps 100 people stay out late drinking and making noise (especially when they leave the premises and are out of the control of the bar owners) which makes life hard for hundreds of residents? It is selfish behaviour and pays no respect to local people.

As it is, at present, some few clubs with “grandad licences” can open until 3am. There is noise in the streets until 4am as these customers, many in drink, find their way to public transport.

Then deliveries start at 7am (which should be 8am but which is not always enforced). This leaves only a few hours for sleep. Go and trade elsewhere or stick to the rules.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED, WC2