Late drinking will be allowed on Sundays in Eastbourne nightclubs, councillors have decided.

Last night they approved plans to grant late licences to clubs and other dancing venues which open on Sundays. Punters had been forced to drink up by 10.30pm.

The planning and licensing committee has approved proposals to let clubs continue serving alcohol until 12.30am and stay open until 2am.

Club owners will also be able to serve alcohol until 2am on a Sunday if the next day is a bank holiday.

Some residents have expressed fears there will be more noise and violence at turning out time as a result.

But councillors said allowing later drinking would boost the economy.

Committee chairman David Stevens said: "The licensing laws have been too restrictive for too long. The changes are particularly helpful for Eastbourne because it is a town with a large young population.

"I predict it will create a great boom for businesses and people coming to Eastbourne from abroad, where they already enjoy fairly relaxed licensing laws."

Not everyone agrees. Mick Ryan, chairman of the Eastbourne Tenants Association, said: "It's bad enough now trying to sleep on Sunday night with the pubs turning out at 10.30pm, but this will mean noisy drunk people walking past people's windows at 1am.

"I could be wrong, it might make things better, but I know how many times I've been woken up. Overall I think it could lead to more trouble and I'm surprised the police have not objected."

However, the licensing industry in Eastbourne applauded the plans.

Steve Hartley, landlord of the Gildredge pub in Terminus Road, said: "Sundays at the moment are dead. Sometimes it isn't worth my while opening up, so this is definitely welcome. It will hopefully bring more people out."

The plans have already been given the go-ahead in neighbouring towns, such as Brighton.

Eastbourne has 37 venues with late licences and many of these are expected to apply for Sunday licences.