IN THE not to distant future, the acronym RIP will not stand for rest in peace, but Remember Inns and Pubs.

Harwell village, even in my memory, used to boast no fewer than five public houses, which all remained going concerns for years.

However, with the recent closure of the Crispin public house, there remains just one – the White Hart.

The anti-smoking brigade led us all to believe that once pubs were smoke-free they would return in droves, not only to relish the clean air but also to fill the tills with much needed revenue by buying good old English pub grub.

Most landlords are still waiting in forlorn anticipation for their appearance.

A record 39 pubs are being forced out of business each week and since Chancellor Alistair Darling’s increase in beer tax last year, over 2,000 pubs have closed their doors for the last time, with the loss of 20,000 jobs.

The smoking ban, increased VAT, longer holiday entitlement, tax grabs and cheap alcohol sold as loss leaders by many supermarkets are all sounding the death knell for the ‘boozers’ of Britain.

Once again it is greed and short-sightedness that is helping to kill the pubs.

Members clubs typically charge 30 per cent less for drinks than most pubs and still make a profit.

So if brewery companies want to increase custom in pubs they should, and could, lower prices drastically and close at a sensible time instead of staying open all night.

This gormless government has scored another own goal with 24 hour opening, which has led to youngsters binge drinking well into the early morning, with the inevitable results widely reported.

This ill-thought-out decision should be overturned forthwith.

At this rate pubs will be rarer than blue moons.

Can’t stop – I’m off to the pub.

TONY ANCHORS, Drake Avenue, Didcot