PUBS in Stourport face an uncertain future unless a more attractive environment is created to compete against rival towns, publicans have warned.

Three pubs - The Tontine, The Bell, and The Anchor - have closed in the last 18 months and been sold to developers.

Landlords and landladies spoke out about the problems of enticing young people to locals and anti-social behaviour in the town.

The landlady of the High Street's Wheatsheaf, June Sleigh, 56, said: "I think Stourport is dying. In the winter you have to rely on your locals but the younger generations have got other ideas.

"They don't want their locals, they want to go where the scene is, like Brindley Place in Birmingham."

Kate Moore, 29, the landlady of The Bridge Inn on Bridge Street said: "I think there's a move to go to Worcester, and even Kidderminster has improved."

She said she boosted trade with crib, domino and quiz nights but not enough was done to cater for tourists.

"The comments we get from our visitors are 'I can't park my car' and 'There's nowhere to go to the toilet.'"

She added: "Nobody wants to come out at night because they run a gauntlet of youths at the bus stop drinking. It's intimidating."

Wyre Forest District Council said a new "super-loo" would be in place for the May bank holiday and the beat manager for Stourport, PC John Harris, said no specific complaints about people drinking outside the old Post Office had been received.

He added: "Stourport is a seasonal town and we have more alcohol-related problems in summer but I wouldn't say it's a serious problem."

But one landlord said the trade - and the town - would expand.

Ray Cox, 54, of The Angel, Severn Side, pointed to planned new development, including hundreds of homes on the site of former Carpets of Worth factory.

He said: "If we can hold on through the next two or three years there's a rainbow on the horizon."