If we are serious about Belfast as a tourist destination, we need to look at licensing, not trading, restrictions

It would only be the larger stores to profit, and the retail workers who suffer, having their Sunday respite slashed.

Ignoring the fact that negotiating Belfast on a Sunday, via public transport, in order to get to work, can already be frustrating, are we really under the illusion that our hordes of tourists are crying out for an extra two hours at a Tesco Extra on the outskirts of town?

Extending Sunday trading hours was never going to help create a shopping haven in any meaningful way, and I doubt it would have encouraged all those stylish Europeans to flock to our high streets.

No, if we truly want to turn Belfast into a ‘holiday resort’, we need to seriously get to grips with archaic licensing laws, especially the religiously driven, draconian prohibitions extended at Easter.

If we are serious about turning Belfast into an attractive place to see and stay, then let’s start thinking sensibly about what we need to do.

Of course, post-Brexit, who would want a weekend break somewhere one needs a visa to visit?

Who needs the hassle.

Slàinte,

Graeme Carson, Carrickfergus