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Time being called across the country

Five pubs are closing each day in the UK as the cost of running them goes up and fewer people visit their local, new figures show.

Closures increased to 36 a week in the first half of this year, up 33% from the 27 a week during 2007, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said.

It added that “thousands of much-loved pubs are under threat” because of “sliding consumer confidence and spiralling inflation”.

In July, the BBPA reported that total beer sales were down 4.5% compared with the same quarter last year, while beer sales in pubs were down 10.6%.

The slump had left sales of beer at their lowest levels since the great depression of the 1930s, the association said.

Pubs are now shutting nine times faster than in 2006 and 18 times faster than in 2005, the figures, compiled by market researcher CGA Strategy, show. A total of 1,409 pubs closed during 2007.

BBPA chief executive Rob Hayward said: “These numbers are a stark illustration of the pressures on the pub sector. Economic stresses and strains are being felt by every household across the country and acutely by Britain’s public houses.

“Sliding consumer confidence and spiralling inflation are hitting pubs in two ways. Not only are the costs of running a pub increasing, but fewer people through the door means less cash in the tills.

“Thousands of much-loved community pubs are under threat. They are at the heart of every community and a major tourist draw for Britain. With food and fuel prices rocketing, this is a terrible time to be hitting pub-goers with more taxes.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .