The recent bout of warm weather has done little to slow the pace of pub closures in Britain, which have risen by a third during the first six months of the year. In spite of tentative signs that the economy is stablising, a record 52 pubs are closing every week, compared with 39 a week in the last six months of 2008.

Figures released on Wednesday by the British Beer & Pub Association show local pubs are the most vunerable in the economic downturn. These businesses closed at a rate of 40 a week in the first half of the year, while nine high street bars were shut per week. There are now 53,466 pubs in Britain, compared with 58,600 three years ago.