Pubs, schools and police prepare for England match

Pubs, school and police in the West are taking extra measures to ensure football fans can experience England's last-16 World Cup match against Mexico in the early hours of Monday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 05:00 BST to let fans watch the match until the final whistle.

Meanwhile, Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council, is calling on schools in the area to be "flexible" and allow children to enjoy a "special moment" for the country.

The region's police forces say extra officers will be deployed, while Insp Neil Duffin, of Wiltshire Police, warned people could still be over the drink-drive limit the next morning.

Kick-off for the knock-out game is not until 01:00 in the UK, and the match is not expected to end until at least 03:00. It could finish even later if it goes to penalties.

If you are unable to catch the game live, there will also be a full no-spoiler re-run of the game on BBC Two from 07:10 BST.

The government has said it is up to parents to decide when their children go to bed, but stressed the importance of attending school on Monday morning.

"Parents will make their own decisions," said a Downing Street spokesperson.

"We want everyone to enjoy the game, but children should be in school on Monday."

Bell acknowledged the importance of education, but added "we don't get into the last 16 very often".

"I think parents should be letting their kids stay up to watch the game if they want to and, crucially, schools should be flexible if kids want to come in a bit later," he said.

"This is a great national moment and I want families to be able to celebrate together."

Pupils at Malmesbury Primary School, in Wiltshire, will be treated to a communal watch party at 07:00 BST, enabling children to catch the game before lessons start.

Headteacher Steve Heal plans to miss the live broadcast and avoid spoilers on social media to prevent his "poor poker face" from giving away the score prematurely.

"We wanted to find a way that would enable them to have all the enjoyment of watching the match without being up for half the night," he said.

"It should be a really good time."

But Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Academy, which operates 56 schools across the country, including 10 in Bristol, said the event was about more than just football.

"It's a once-every-four-year thing, and if we don't qualify next year, it's once in eight years. It's a big moment," he said.

"The whole point is about having fun, being together, and the tension of it all."

He urged the government to issue central advice for schools "so we're all doing the same thing around the country".

Elsewhere, Somerset Council is refunding venues that had successfully applied for temporary licences before the extension was applied to all pubs.

"Clearly, they were acting responsibly and do not deserve to be out of pocket. We will be processing this as quickly as possible," a spokesperson said.

Will Harris, one of the managers at the Goddard Arms in Swindon, Wiltshire, says they are expecting a full capacity of 200 people to flood through their doors.

"Especially with this game, because it's so late, we're getting a lot of interest," he said.

"Usually we'd be done by about 23:30, but we're hoping to get a good crowd in."

However, the National Police Chiefs' Council has criticised the licence extension, saying the "late announcement" on Thursday meant officers would be pulled away from other duties and made to work longer hours.

It asked fans to be "considerate" and "drink within sensible limits".

Avon and Somerset Police will also be increasing patrols around key hotspots and stationing officers by the roadside to conduct breathalysers.

Supt George Headley said: "There is no excuse for disorder and criminality, and we have plans in place alongside our partners to deal with these issues robustly."

He added there was often an increased risk for victims of domestic abuse during major sporting events, and emphasised support was available to those affected.

Insp Duffin, of the roads policing unit at Wiltshire Police, emphasised the "devastating consequences" of drink driving for victims and their families.

"If you plan to drink alcohol, you must make arrangements to get home regardless of the length of your journey," he said.

"With kick off at 1am, it's important to remember that you are likely to be over the limit if working the following day so please be responsible and make suitable plans."

Gloucestershire Constabulary said it would also have extra resources in place for England games.

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