More than 400 pubs in England and Wales shut their doors for good this year against a backdrop of rising costs and cautious spending among consumers.
The number of pubs has fallen below 39,000 for the first time, as 412 were demolished or converted for other uses in the year to December, according to an analysis of government figures by the property data company Altus Group. Most of the closures happened in the first half of the year.
