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Sharp price rises for alcohol announced by chancellor

Alcohol will cost much more in future, chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling has announced.

To be applied from Sunday, the increases will lead to the average pint of beer rising by 4p, bottles of wine by 14p and bottles of spirits by 55p.

This equates to a six per cent rise in alcohol costs above inflation - and will lead to further rises in the future.

Mr Darling also said that there would be two per cent above-inflation increases for the next four years.

The price changes have come in for strong criticism from the British Beer and Pub Association.

Its chief executive, Rob Hayward, commented: "The government is punishing all beer drinkers rather than punishing the minority of drunken hooligans.

"Its policy is fuelling Britain's binge drinking problem by driving people away from beer, out of the pub into the arms of the deep discounting supermarkets."

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