18 PUBS A WEEK CALL LAST TIME

PUBS are closing at an average rate of 18 per week, figures show.

The Campaign for Real Ale blames the closures on a triple whammy of beer tax and rising business rates and VAT.

With a third of the cost of a pint now made up of duty, Camra is calling on the Government to launch an urgent review into the way beer is taxed.

The figures compiled by y Camra’s WhatPub online pub guide show 460 UK boozers closed between July and December last year alone.

The South East was hardest hit with 62 closures, followed by the North West with 59.

Camra boss Colin Valentine said: “Pubs are e now facing a crippling tax x burden, exacerbated by the e perfect storm of the last st business rates revaluation ion n and a high level of beer duty. From these new pub closure figures, it’s clear that a fundamental change is needed if the pub is to survive for future generations.” The number of pubs has slumped from 75,000 in the early 1970s to under 50,000, due to increased running costs and changes in people’s drinking habits. But the current closure rate is an improvement on 2014 when pubs were shutting at the alarming rate of 29 every single week. Camra says Brexit provides new opp opportunities to help p pubs, such as cut cutting tax for dr draught beer. And Mr V Valentine ad added: “The Go Government has a unique opportunity oppo to update the tax system to bett better support p pubs, which are a bastion of B British culture.” 62 59 52 47 47 38 35 28 19 16 57