'GMB blames owners for decline in pub-going'

A bar room brawl between the GMB and the top pub groups kicked off again today as the trade union blamed a 25% drop in the amount of alcohol served in British pubs on higher rents. In a report on the state of the industry, the union said that for every four drinks sold in 2002, pubs now sell three, and that the drop resulted from the "artificially high prices that tied pub tenants have to charge to recover the [alcohol prices] and rents charged by the pubcos who own the freehold of the pub properties" - The Guardian​

An academic has defended the study used by the Scottish Government to impose a minimum unit price on alcohol. Anne Ludbrook, professor of health economics at the University of Aberdeen, said she was "slightly concerned" that Holyrood's Health and Sport Committee sometimes misunderstood the value of the modelling work that has been done on the issue. The committee has been examining the Alcohol Bill, which contains measures to drive up the price of cheap alcohol by imposing a 45 pence minimum price per unit - Press Association​

MSPs are set to hear evidence about the link between the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic drinks such as Buckfast and violence.The Health Committee is examining controversial proposals to impose a 45p minimum unit price on alcohol designed to change the country's relationship with cheap drink - Press Association​

Prince Harry revealed the royals are big fans of Ricky Gervais - by asking the TV funnyman to sign a Beer-mat for the queen. Harry - 26 today - got the star of legendary sitcom The Office to scribble a message to Her Majesty after he went to one of the risque comic's stand-up shows - The Sun​

Four in ten of the country's towns have become clones, full of national chain identikit stores and devoid of local character. Shoppers could be in any one of hundreds of locations without any clue to the area and its history. The finding comes from the New Economics Foundation (NEF), which has fought against the takeover of towns by the major chains - Daily Mail​