Price of a pint could 'rocket' by 20p

The price of a pint could "rocket" by 20p if the government introduces a beer duty and VAT increase in the Budget, a trade group has warned.

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has claimed that a "double whammy" in the Budget on June 22 is a "real danger".

But even if George Osborne only increases VAT to 20 per cent, as feared, the BBPA says this could force the price of a pint up by 6p.

The group has teamed up with the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) to help with the lobby effort to persuade the Chancellor not to penalise the industry in the middle of the World Cup.

The groups want the Chancellor to offset any VAT rise by a parallel cut in beer duty.

Figures show beer tax has increased by 1,000 per cent since England's 1966 World Cup win. Duty on the price of beer has risen from 3.6p in 1966 to 39p today, the BBPA said.

Michael Brunskill, the FSF's communications director, said: "Fans already pay enough out over the course of a season without having to worry about another hike in the price of a pint.

"Let's hope the taxman doesn't spoil our World Cup - that's normally the job of the Germans!"

Brigid Simmonds, the BBPA's chief executive of the BBPA, said: "Beer accounts for 60 per cent of sales in community pubs, so beer tax increases have a direct impact on British pubs.

"A further tax hike on top of the 26 per cent increase of the last two years will hit hundreds of thousands of fans going to their local to watch England at the World Cup."