THE sad decline of Britain's boozers is continuing apace.

As we reported this week, the Saracens Head in The Tything has closed.

Shaylene Kitchener, the pub's landlady, said despite the pub being successful and popular they simply could not afford the £72,000 a year rent.

Unfortunately it's a similar story across the country.

Something needs to be done to save what is one of Britain's calling cards, one of the things tourists flock to this country to experience.

Figures have revealed the number of pubs in Britain dropped from 58,200 in 2006 to just 48,000 in 2014, a decline of 18 per cent.

I know from personal experience the impact it can have on small communities.

When I moved to the village where I grew up, the local pub's landlord had been in the job for donkeys' years.

The place was the heart and soul of the village and the place people went to meet up.

Since the landlord decided to retire and move on it hasn't been the same.

There has been a new person in charge about once a year ever since, as they struggle to improve takings to pay the brewery's bills - let alone make a profit.

You just don't know if you're coming and going.

Unfortunately the constant revolving door of landlords has lessened the number of regulars propping up the bar.

Like many pubs, it now tries to offer a combination of beer and food to keep itself afloat.

It seems to have taken a step in the right direction under the newest bloke's stewardship.

But how long he chooses to stick around is another matter entirely.

According to the Campaign for Real Ale, Britain’s pubs have been hit hard for a variety of reasons.

These include increased competition from supermarkets selling cheap drink, heavy taxes on alcohol and the smoking ban.

So fixing the problem isn't going to be easy, but let's hope it can be done.

Otherwise this very British trademark will soon cease to exist.