Fines for yob behaviour have doubled since the introduction of late-night drinking.

On-the-spot penalties for fighting, urinating or being sick in the street have been issued every 90 minutes on average in Sussex since licensing laws were relaxed a year ago today.

Figures obtained by The Argus under the Freedom of Information Act reveal almost every police district in Sussex has seen an increase in the £80 fines.

Experts warned yesterday that binge drinking had reached epidemic levels among young people.

Martin Shalley, president of the British Association for Emergency Medicine, said: "Bars are still geared solely towards alcoholic drinks rather than a caf culture.

"Since last year the number of people being brought into A&E departments with drink-related problems has remained the same.

"The only difference is they come in throughout the night rather than between 11pm and 1am.

"More worrying is the number of people in their late 20s and early 30s who turn up throughout the day with the long-term effects of alcohol abuse."

Brighton and Crawley are the county's hotspots for the £80 tickets, recording 2,250 and 1,000 respectively. They are followed by Eastbourne and Worthing.

Sussex police have handed out 9,000 fines since they were introduced in April 2004, raising more than £700,000 for the Treasury.

The county was in the top ten forces nationally for the number of penalty notices handed out, issuing significantly more tickets than all its neighbours except for Kent.

Inspector Mark Piper of Crawley Police said people were probably drinking for longer, but he did not believe disorder had increased.

He said: "I would be more convinced with the explanation that with late-night drinking, and particularly the staggering of hours, we have a stronger position regarding tackling potential public disorder.

"Because closing times are more staggered we can deal with disorder more effectively."

Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs and shadow minister for police reform, said it was too early to say whether the rise in fines could be attributed to more drunkenness or better enforcement.

He said: "The public will welcome increased enforcement against antisocial behaviour."

Barry Carr, assistant manager at Brannigans in London Road, Crawley, said: "We haven't noticed that much change. If anything, it is quieter."

In central Brighton and Hove, 948 tickets were issued between December 2005 and October this year. In the previous 11 months 365 fines were handed out.

Many bars and clubs have been granted later licences, although only a handful are allowed to open 24 hours a day.

Police say there is no evidence disorder has increased since longer opening hours were brought in, although the number of officers on the street has increased on weekend nights.