Outrage at drink sales for Sunday morning

Scotland's licensing laws are to be torn up at the beginning of September so that alcohol is be sold every day of the week from 10am. The move means shoppers from Monday to Saturday will have a longer wait before buying drink, but it's earlier than the current 12:30pm watershed on a Sunday.

Religious campaigners last night said the new plans would further erode the special nature of the Sabbath day, confirming it as just another day of consuming.

Peter Lyness of the Keep Sunday Special campaign said: "It just seems unnecessary and it could be the slippery slope."

A Church of Scotland spokesman added: "We have no doubt that increased availability of alcohol contributes to the health and social problems that are currently being experienced in Scotland and are increasing. Thus we would oppose any extension to the opportunities to buy alcohol."

Free Church of Scotland Ministers are also opposed to the new move, saying that Sunday should always be treated differently to other days of the week, to remind the public of its special significance.

But the supermarkets say it will bring an end to out-of-date legislation which has long frustrated shoppers who visit their stores on a Sunday morning only to find they cannot buy drink.

ASDA recently trialled the 10am start in its Dumbarton store and was hit by widespread complaints from customers who like to do their weekly shop early in the morning.

A spokesman said last night: "It's clear that the vast majority of customers have absolutely no idea that this change is coming in September."

The changes are part of a major reform of liquor licensing legislation which comes into force on 1 September.

Despite the more relaxed rules for a Sunday, the new licensing laws are intended to tighten up the sale of drink in pubs, bars and shops in Scotland.