Pub group JD Wetherspoon is to serve alcohol from 9am when the new licensing legislation comes into force later this month.

The company has received consent to open almost all of its 650 pubs from 9am until midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The company claims the move is not encouraging binge drinking, but that it expects the majority of early morning sales to comprise breakfasts, coffees and other non-alcoholic drinks.

"Our pubs will open at 9am across the UK with the aim of attracting customers for breakfast and coffee," said company spokesperson Eddie Gershon. "However, the pubs will all be licensed to serve alcohol from 9am and if a customer wishes to enjoy an alcoholic drink with their food or simply a drink on its own, then we will be happy to serve them."

The company unveiled its longer opening hours alongside its first quarter results in which it reported like for like sales down 0.9 per cent, but total sales up by 0.5 per cent to £201.5m.

Like for like sales in the group’s 47 non-smoking pubs were down by 7.3 per cent for the quarter. The company said the sites had seen an increase in food sales, but bar sales had declined sharply.

Gershon added that Wetherspoon still believes the government should implement a total ban on smoking in pubs, saying the company does not agree with either sealed smoking rooms or pubs being able to opt out of the ban by not serving food.

Wetherspoon’s new opening hours come into effect on 24 November.