A RECORD 52 pubs are closing every week in Britain in a trend that has already led to the loss of 24,000 jobs over the past year, according to new figures.
The latest survey carried out for the British Beer and Pub Association reveals that the rate of pub closures for the first six months of 2009 is up by 33 per cent compared with the second half of 2008, when 39 pubs were closing every week.
Over the last 12 months, 2,377 pubs have closed, costing 24,000 jobs. In the last three years, 5,134 pubs have closed. There are now 53,466 pubs in Britain, down from 58,600 in the year before the Licensing Act came into force.
Association chief executive David Long said: “The recession is proving extremely tough for Britain’s pubs. However, those economic pressures have been made much worse by a government that has continued to pile on tax and regulatory burdens.”
Traditional pubs are proving most vulnerable, the association says. Branded pubs and cafe-style bars are opening at a rate of two a week, but community pubs are closing at the rate of 40 a week. – (Guardian service)