The government's plans to liberalise Britain's drinking laws have come under renewed fire from medical experts.

Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Royal College of Physicians' alcohol committee, has urged ministers to accept that the problem of binge drinking needs more than just a law and order solution.

In an interview with ePolitix.com, he also called on the industry to "look very hard" at reducing promotions such as two-for-one offers and happy hours.

Professor Gilmore said that current government policy focuses "too heavily on the aspects of drinking most closely related to law and order issues at the expense of health".

He warned that this approach would "fall short of meeting the concerns of the medical profession".

"I think the government is taking alcohol related harm seriously, however I believe they are working under considerable constraints due to the massive force of the drinks industry lobby," he said.

"The alcohol harm reduction strategy as produced by the Cabinet Office was cross-cutting but since then I think the focus on alcohol related harm has been lost to some extent.

"The Home Office was given the responsibility of pulling the strategy together but the Home Office inevitably has a much more law and order focus."

The medical chief said that while the drinks and entertainment industry wanted to see the problems associated with binge drinking tackled, they do not "wish to see the nation drinking less".

He also warned ministers that their flagship reforms would not lead to a more relaxed "continental" style cafe culture.

"It is very unlikely that the single act of extending licensing laws will turn us into a wine sipping continental culture," he said.

"We may be able to move in that direction in the longer term but the timing of this change, when we are in the middle of an epidemic of alcohol related problems, seems to be inappropriate."

Professor Gilmore called for more research into "the causes of our present culture and patterns of alcohol consumption".

"A one per cent levy on the industry would allow an independent national institute to drive this forward," he added.

"There is no government commitment to funding research of this kind. Public information campaigns on the dangers of alcohol are to be led by the industry, in direct contrast to those on tobacco."