WE'RE not surprised that residents are horrified at proposals for a trio of city clubs to extend their opening hours to as late as 4am - and, we suspect, neither are the police nor the clubs themselves.

Just because clubs feel they can attract enough customers to justify opening beyond the small hours, it doesn't mean they have to be allowed.

The balance of life in a city like Worcester always involves a vibrant night culture, and always should.

But enough's enough. This isn't Aya Napa. No community can live a truly even existence where things are done to excess.

And, whether or not alcohol'is going to be sold into the small hours, these proposals simply go too far.

Many residents in St John's already experience massive disruption to their lives as a consequence of anti-social revellers who've left clubs.

While it would be wrong to point the finger squarely at University College Worcester, the problems - we're told - largely disappear out of term time.

It's proving difficult for the police, the city council and UCW officials to overcome those problems.

So why do should residents in other parts of the city be exposed to the threat of similar misery?

There's nothing in the new plans which suggest that opening later and later is going to improve matters.

But there's every reason to fear that more people are going to have their nights broken by yobbish behaviour, and more often, too.