What the papers say - Thursday, March 22

Chancellor Gordon Brown announced a 1p rise on beer duty, a 5p rise on a bottle of wine, 7p rise on sparkling wine, cider to rise by 1p a litre and a freeze on duty on spirits. Cigarettes will rise by 11p a packet, but smokers hoping to quit have been helped by a cut in VAT on nicotine patches from 17.5 per cent to five per cent - Guardian, Independent, Times, Sun, Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Financial Times, Western Mail, Scotsman​

Mitchells and Butlers chief executive Tim Clarke offers a comment on the Budget. On the rise in duty on drink, he says: "Clearly we would have preferred no change" - Financial Times ​

Two modest local pubs will today be awarded the top prizes in this year's CAMRA pub design awards at a time when the chairman of the judges, Steven Parissien, said "the outlook for traditional breweries and their pub stock is grimmer than at any time since the 1960s". The award will go to the Prince of Wales in Herne Bay, Kent. The conservation award goes to the Three Pigeons in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The two pubs also shared the "best street corner local" prize - Guardian​

A dozing drinker suffered first degree burns after pranksters set fire to his pants in a pub. Police are trying to find six young men who were in the Brickmaker's Arms in Burnley, Lancs - Mirror ​

A group of drinking pals are placing bets on which of them will die next. The 25-man syndicate at the Old Crown in Hayes, West London is called the Last Supper Club because each meal together could be the final one for any of them - Sun ​