A quarter of drinkers have not gone back to the local pub

PUB regulars are abandoning their locals as one in four say they have yet to visit since lockdown was eased.

Amid fears over coronavirus and with social distancing still in place, more than 40 per cent of pubgoers have said that they are visiting less often than they did before the pandemic began in March.

The survey, by the Campaign for Real Ale, has led to calls for Boris Johnson to cut tax on the price of a pint in order to save the industry.

The findings came on the first week of the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme which is offering a 50 per cent discount to diners to kick-start the restaurant industry, but the offer does not include alcohol.

The survey of nearly 4,000 Camra members found that since the pubs reopened, 23 per cent were not visiting at all, 42 per cent were visiting less frequently and just 3 per cent were spending more time in their local.

There have been warnings that the lost revenue and decreased capacity could force tens of thousands of pubs out of business.

Nik Antona, Camra’s national chairman, said: “These figures show that there is still a long way to go to return to pre-lockdown levels of trade.

“The beer and pubs industry needs certainty and support in the long term – which is exactly why cutting tax on beer served on tap in pubs would give the sector stability, support jobs and encourage people to drink responsibly in the regulated setting of the community pub.”