'Well-known pubs forced to shut'

Two well-known Dundee pubs have closed leading to the loss of 25 jobs. The Nine Maidens in Laird Street and Doc Stewart's - officially called The Downfield Hotel - in Strathmartine Road have become the latest casualties of the economic downturn. Sheena Thomson, president of the Dundee Licensed Trade Association, said the move had come as a surprise because the two pubs were very well run but predicted more closures to come - BBC​

The face of the high street could completely change within the next five years as the downturn takes its toll. Chain bars, which have fallen out of favour due to the smoking ban and an ageing population, will be increasingly replaced by gastropubs. Off licences will also suffer and could be forced to offer wider ranges and expert knowledge to compete with the supermarkets according to retail research company Verdict - The Times​

Workers were left devastated when Inbev announced it was closing its historic Stag Brewery in Mortlake, South West London. The decision follows the $52billion merger between InBev and Anheuser-Busch late last year - The Sun​

Newcastle has topped the poll in a league of the country's worst areas for binge drinking. Durham and Sunderland came third and fourth respectively making the North East a black spot for drunken excess. Northumbria Police Chief Constable Mike Craik called for supermarkets to "grow up" and put an end to cheap alcohol - Sunderland Echo​