LANDLORDS blame cheap supermarket alcohol as the number one reason why pubs are closing.

A survey commissioned by North-East alcohol office Balance also found that few felt any benefit from tax cuts in alcohol duty.

Seventy per cent of all alcohol sold in the region is now bought from supermarkets and off-licences.

The survey of 200 landlords found that three out of four believed increasing supermarket alcohol prices would help tackle harm, with 64 per cent stating it is the best way the Government could help the pub trade.

Colin Shevills, director of Balance, said: “Landlords want a more even playing field with supermarkets [and] one way to close that growing gap between on and off trade would be the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol in England.”

David Simpson, from The Butcher’s Arms, Chester-le-Street, said: “Minimum unit price would help to tackle cheap supermarket alcohol.

“It wouldn’t affect the price of a pint in the pub – we can’t sell alcohol that cheaply.”