POLICE claim young girls, children and the wider public will all be put at risk if a Worcester cinema is allowed to serve alcohol at film screenings.

The Vue cinema on Friar Street wants permission to serve alcohol, both in the foyer area and directly to customers’ seats, at certain screenings throughout the day and late into the night.

Worcester City Council’s licensing sub-committee will decide later today whether to grant the cinema an alcohol licence, which Vue says will give customers “the ultimate viewing experience” of drinking beer or wine while watching a film.

Vue says staff wearing night-vision goggles will be sent in to check on audiences every half an hour, and alcohol would only be served at screenings where the audience is likely to be “predominantly adult”.

But West Mercia police have lodged strong objections, highlighting fears of drunken behaviour, possible under-age drinking and even a threat to young girls from “male predators”.

In a three-page letter of objection, police licensing officer Peter Hughes concludes: “There is nothing in the application to convince West Mercia that the introduction of alcohol at Vue should be supported.”

In its application, Vue says “a substantial number” of its 60 cinemas across the country are now licensed to sell alcohol.

Vue Worcester staff bearing trays or trolleys would only sell drinks while the lights were on, before films began and during intervals. The cinema would only offer drinks in plastic containers and has pledged to install CCTV and notices reminding customers to leave quietly.

However, Mr Hughes says “the supply and consumption of alcohol would be extremely difficult to control”, making the prevention of under-age drinking “difficult”.

He says 30-minute check-ups by staff are “unacceptable” and drunken audience members “could potentially cause harassment, alarm or distress to other cinema users and staff”.

Most seriously of all, he suggests young girls could be at risk of attack.

“The combination of a dark auditorium, alcohol and male predator could create a potentially dangerous situation.”