HOSPITAL chiefs fear revellers celebrating the millennium with a 36-hour drinking session could put unprecedented strain on emergency services.

Bosses in Brighton today criticised plans to allow pubs to stay open from 11am on New Year's Eve to 11pm on New Year's Day.

The move, announced by the Government yesterday, was backed by the public in a consultation exercise.

Plans on how to cope with the extra pressure on resources were discussed at a meeting of the Brighton Health Care NHS Trust. Chief executive StuartWelling said sarcastically that the decision would be "excellent news for our accident and emergency department".

He added: "I am concerned about what happens in the town will affect what happens in the hospital.

"The decision to allow 36 hours of solid drinking will lead to 72 hours of non-stop implications."

Brighton is planning to hold the biggest New Year's Eve bash in the South and link up with the French town of Amiens.

More than 50,000 people are expected to see in the millennium in Brighton's Old Steine.

Last month the plans received a huge boost when the Argus revealed the event was getting a £120,000 grant from the European Regional Development Fund's Intereg project.

But the NHS trust raised concerns about the level of medical staffing at the event.

Director of facilities Lee Soden said: "The level of voluntary support for the big event in town is very, very limited.

"The ambulance service is looking for potential volunteers to assist St John Ambulance throughout."

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