So people power triumphs over the boozers.

There was a time when it seemed that there was no stopping new bars opening in Oxford.

George Street in particular had become a drinking paradise, with one establishment after another.

But now it appears that the pendulum is swinging back.

Residents fearing late-night noise and violence have successfully blocked plans for a nightclub venue off Cowley Road.

And protesters are also claiming victory after plans for an extension to a new Walkabout pub were toned down.

The two campaigns show that the licensing authorities will sometimes listen, and it is worth kicking up a fuss.

No-one wants to stop young people enjoying themselves, providing they behave themselves.

But too often we see them getting drunk and acting irresponsibly.

People who want to spend a leisurely night out, at the cinema, theatre or restaurant, are as entitled to be on the streets as the raucous element.

Opponents of the two new venues might have not changed the drinking scene in Oxford dramatically.

But they have struck two important blows for the majority.