Punters at a Caversham pub will soon be able to enjoy drinks until midnight as the venue's licence has been extended.

The Crown Caversham, on the A4155 across Caversham Bridge over the River Thames, successfully won a bid to increase its alcohol trading hours.

It currently opens from 12pm each day, with closing times varying from 11pm on weekdays and 10.30pm on Sundays to the latest closure times at 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Now the pub has the freedom to open at 9am until midnight and serve food and drinks earlier than before, thanks to its licensing application being granted by Reading Borough Council.

A spokesperson for brewery Stonegate, who owns the historical pub along with a number of venues around the town, said it wanted to increase its hours to meet the needs of punters and to respond to 'positive customer demand'.

It is possible breakfast menu could be introduced, given the recent approval to sell alcohol from 9am onwards.

This year, Stonegate announced that it was £2.6 billion in debt, leaving venues it runs at risk of closure.

In Reading, the company also owns the Boundary, the Monk's Retreat, the Slug and Lettuce and Walkabout, which is currently closed after a reveller was seriously injured in at attack.

It also operates The Lyndhurst, with the current team at that pub set to move on once their tenancy ends.