The number of serious injuries as a result of violence in pubs has fallen by two per cent since last year despite longer opening hours, according to new research.
It was initially feared that the longer hours would increase street violence, but the annual violence study, by the Cardiff University Violence Research Group, found that there were around 6,000 less people requiring violence-related treatment for injuries in hospital A&E departments last year than in 2005.
The researchers claim that an increase in the number of CCTV cameras being installed in pubs is in no small part responsible for the reduction.
However, experts warn that while the amount of serious violence may have fallen, the number of violent outbreaks is still the same but they are being curbed more quickly.
Professor Jonathan Shepherd, director of the Violence Research Group, said: "It seems likely that street CCTV and better targeted patrols mean that police are getting to fights more often and earlier.
"This would explain why incident numbers are up and injuries are down. Police are intervening before anyone is seriously hurt."
Some 364,000 people are estimated to have required hospital treatment for assaults last year.
