A senior Worth Valley politician is celebrating moves to allow pubs to stay open late for England’s opening World Cup game.

The Home Office scored an own goal with footie fans and pubs when it ruled there would be no special dispensation for hostelries to show the June 14 Italy game, which doesn’t kick off until 11pm our time. But Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered a rethink.

Glen Miller, a Worth Valley ward councillor and the Tory group leader on Bradford Council, said many people were disappointed with the original decision.

“Pub landlords with full late licences would not have had a problem but others would be unable to show the game at all or only the first half, which seems ludicrous,” he said.

“I am confident England playing Italy with an 11pm UK kick-off will be a one-off event and am pleased the Prime Minister was pragmatic enough to intervene.”

England’s remaining group games are against Uruguay on June 19, with an 8pm UK kick-off time and Costa Rica on June 24, starting at 5pm.