Pubs are on course to record their worst summer for at least 10 years with sales plummeting by almost 7% over June and July according to two exclusive trade surveys released to the Morning Advertiser.

Unprecedented rainfall across the UK has put the trade on a crisis footing, with licensees in the flood-ridden counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire worst hit, with an overall sales drop of 7.8% in July.

The results of two year-on-year surveys show the weather almost wholly responsible for the downturn, with the smoking ban impacting only marginally.

Licensed trade research

consultant CGA Strategy, which monitors 14,000 on-trade venues, revealed pub sales crashed nearly 7% in June with the same fall continuing into July.

Beer dispense monitoring specialist Nucleus Data, which studies sales trends in 3,000 pubs, says July saw an average 6.7% drop on 12 months ago.

The figures confirm the view of trade observers and licensees, which point to summer 2007 as one of the worst trading periods pubs have ever experienced.

Marstons Inns & Taverns managing director Derek Andrew, says he cannot remember anything as bad in his 27 years in the trade. "The rain is no friend of the pub trade and once again this weather shows how unwilling people have been to travel out to pubs," he said.

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said the figures were "very worrying for the trade." He said: "We are in the lap of the gods as far as the weather is concerned and the only comfort is that the drop cannot be attributed to the smoking ban."

Nucleus figures for the South West showed beer sales dropping by 4.5%, while the South East recorded a decline of less than 1.5%. CGA said its research revealed sales of standard lager were hit most, with volumes down between 9% and 13% year-on-year. Sales of draught cider and cask ales bucked the trend and held steady while premium cask ales were slightly up.

Clive Consterdine, of Nu-cleus Data, said: "There is no doubt that hosts are working very hard to maintain sales at previous levels, and that the effect of appalling weather, and in some cases the first hint of a change in some smokers drinking habits, has seen beer sales decline.

"We urge our customers to ensure they are working with licensees to make certain that every pint poured is a perfect one for every customer."

l Trade dampener - p4

l MA comment - p16A few sorry tales of Woe

Licensees have their own gloomy stories to confirm the general malaise with a number reporting substantial trade downturns.

York licensee Anita Adams, left, who runs the city's Golden Slipper, said the past two Friday nights had seen sales down by 50%. "People are simply not coming into York and the

tourist trade is being badly hit.

"The cancellation of the June two-day race meeting cost the local economy more than £500,000," she said.

Bob Findlay, licensee of the Sun, Windlesham, Surrey, said his beer garden trade had been almost non existent. "Sales are down and we have also been hit by parts of the village being flooded," he said.

Geoff Sutcliffe, of the Rising Sun, Wilpshire, Blackburn, said teatime trade had nosedived as wet workers went straight home.

And host Paul Bowes, left, of the Black Bull, Wylam, Northumberland, said business was substantially down. "It's a combination of the weather and local road closures and it's very worrying for business," he said.