Landlords are feeling the pinch of the credit crunch

Landlords from pubs in Maidenhead fear landmark watering-holes may be forced to close in the future as the credit crunch bites hard.

Some say they are struggling to cope with the burden of red tape, higher alcohol duties, affects of last year's smoking ban and falling customer numbers.

40 ailing pub bosses in Maidenhead gathered at the Vine Pub in Market Street on Monday for the Licensed Victuallers Society (VLA) AGM.

The Advertiser has heard from some of the landlord who attended who said the local pub trade meeting painted a gloomy picture for the future of independent drinking-holes in Maidenhead.

A study in September this year, by the British Beer and Pub Association discovered that five pubs are closing every day in the UK and beer sales are at their lowest since the great depression of the 1930s.

Read the full story in this week's Advertiser.

Pictured: The Hand and Flowers landlady Denise Lothian and The Vine landlord Danny Curtain work around the clock to keep their businesses going.