I notice that yet more shops in Tooting are hoping to stay open to all hours of the night selling alcohol. I very much hope that Wandsworth Council refuses their applications.

I see no need in offering further encouragement to the gangs of marauding youths who appear to like nothing better than congregating in large groups on street corners, perhaps retiring occassionally to sit in a car and listen to deafening music, or popping into Chicken Cottage for a nice healthy snack.

While I am sure many of those young people are fine upstanding members of society, it does not take a huge leap of imagination to accept that a situation where lots of young people, quite bored, with a load of alcohol thrown in for good measure, is clearly going to lead to cases of lots of noise, vandalism and sometimes even violence.

I don't blame the shopkeepers for applying for the licenses - indeed if they don't mind standing behind a counter all night then it must be easy money.

However, the council has to draw the line and stop the area descending even further towards the den of late night litter and anti-social behaviour which it seems to be rapidly becoming.

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