Average price of a pint tops £2

The average price of a pint of bitter in South East England has broken the £2 barrier for the first time, according to a report published today.

Across Britain the cost rose 8p last year to reach an average £1.86, the study for trade magazine The Publican found.

But in the South East, the most expensive region, the average topped £2.

In contrast the cheapest area for a pint of standard bitter was the North West where the average was £1.69.

The South East was also the most expensive for a pint of standard lager where the average price in a pub was £2.21 - 14p more than the average price across the rest of the country, the report found.

Drinkers not wanting pay over £2 a pint for lager should head to Wales, Scotland and the North West, it says.

Landlords were asked to provide details of price rises, but not to take inflation and increased duty into account.The Publican believe the "unprecedented" rises were a consequence of increasing costs in the pub business, the "burden of red tape" and the knock-on effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks and foot-and-mouth on tourism.

The Publican's Market Report 2002 also shows the price of wine has taken its biggest yearly leap, up from £1.57 to £1.67 for a small glass (125ml), while a 25ml shot of whisky is up from £1.31 to £1.37 on average.

Lorna Harrison, editor of The Publican, said: "We expect to see a small rise of 1p or 2p on alcoholic drinks each year, but these figures are way above the norm.

"Many publicans, like most businesses, have had a hard year due to the drop in tourism,

"Coupled with rising red tape, publicans have clearly needed to take action to survive."

The report found landlords unwilling to serve alcohol 24 hours a day if there was a permanent change in the law.Just 1% said they would opt for round-the-clock opening, although 37% said they would appreciate an extra hour extension on Friday and Saturday nights.

The report was compiled by speaking to 750 publicans around the UK.