Changes to the licensing laws now mean that pubs can apply to continue serving drinks until midnight or 1am during the week (2am at weekends) instead of the current 11pm. Birmingham City Council have so far recieved 409 applications from pubs to do so. The police have expressed fears that this will not curb violence but just move it to later in the night.

Following a recent technology conference at the ICC, one attendee was moved to say, of Broad Street, when asked about conditions in the city:

…but semi-naked semi-comatose girls who can’t stand up as they spill out the pubs at closing time, whilst spilling what they had for dinner over themselves doesn’t do the place any favours…

Whilst another attendee likened the area to “Hell’s Kitchen”.