Smoking ban chokes trade at doomed Bath pub

The licensees of a pub say they have been forced to shut it down after profits slumped following the national ban on smoking.

The tenants of The Castle in Forester Avenue, Bath, have expressed sadness at leaving the pub, which has been their home for seven years, but claim they had no choice. Landlord David Skelton and his wife June said their takings had plummeted since the smoking ban last year and their business was no longer profitable.

The pub, which is in a cul-de-sac, does not benefit from passing trade and Mr Skelton said it had not been well supported by the locals. He said: "We have tried everything to stay here. We have even tried to serve food but we do not have a commercial kitchen and to make all the renovations would cost too much money.

"We have loved living here and are obviously very sad to leave."

He added: "The pub culture in Britain has changed and the smoking ban has hit us terribly."

Recent figures show the UK's pubs are disappearing at the rate of four a day, thanks to rising taxes, the smoking ban and competition from supermarkets.

According to data obtained by the British Beer and Pub Association, almost 1,500 pubs were shut down last year, seven times more than in 2006.