When it comes to late-night drinking applications, an Oxford University college has outdone the city's liveliest clubs.

All Souls College has caused raised eyebrows by asking for a licence to sell alcohol from noon until 7am, seven days a week. The application was granted un- opposed by the city council's licensing panel.

All Souls, located on the High Street, has had to apply for a sale of alcohol licence for the first time in its long history.

The new Licensing Act specifically removed the historic exemptions of Oxbridge colleges. Oxford colleges were previously able to sell alcohol thanks to a memorandum of understanding with the police.

With clubs like the Zodiac and Park End Club asking for licences until 4am, a spokesman for Oxford City Council joked: "It will mean you would be able to get a drink at All Souls if you have an early breakfast, but not with a late one."

Other colleges have been more moderate in their requests. Nuffield College this week submitted an application to sell alcohol from 6pm to 2am, with New College wanting one from 10am to 1am, Friday to Saturday.

Most colleges appear to want to keep bars open until midnight and have asked for late-night openings 20 times a year for special events.

No-one at All Souls was available to comment on why the college wanted to keep its bars open for 19 hours a day.

Elizabeth Crawford, chairman of Oxford University's domestic bursars' committee, dismissed suggestions that Oxford colleges were about to become dens of late-night drinking.

She said: "We are not looking at this to make money from bars being open 24 hours a day. We are not in the business of running bars. We are in the business of education."