FIVE pubs now closing a day

Pub closures across Britain leapt to five a day during the first half of this year, according to new figures released today.

Figures compiled by CGA Strategy for the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) show pubs are now closing at the rate of 36 a week - a sharp rise on the 27 closures a week during 2007 reported by the BBPA in March.

And the BBPA is calling on all publicans to ring their bells at 1pm next Monday afternoon (September 15) to show pubs need a better deal from government.

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the BBPA, called on the government to think again about its treatment of pubs in the light of the widespread closures.

"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," said Hayward.

"Despite this, the government seems intent on increasing the burden on pubs. Its current proposals to target pubs with a raft of new red tape such as statutory codes of conduct and ratchet up taxes with its beer duty escalator will only make matters worse. Such policies will only drive up costs for pubs and prices for punters.

"With so many pubs in peril, the Government's threat of further stealth taxes on beer cannot go unanswered."

The latest statistics show pubs are now closing nine times faster than in 2006, and 18 times faster than in 2005.

Hayward said it was time to send a "wake-up call" to Westminster - and is urging all pubs to ring their bells at 1pm next Monday to make their mark.

"We'll also be setting out in detail our own economic analysis of the state of the sector to provide further proof, if proof were needed, that it's time pubs and brewers had a fair deal," he added.