100 pubs in receivership in NI

The freeze-up last December did little good to the licensed trade in Northern Ireland either with many pubs reporting a major drop in business.

The Chief Executive of Pubs of Ulster (formerly the NI Federation of Retail Licensed Trade) Colin Neill pointed out that the snow over Christmas had, in effect, wiped out business at a time when some 20 per cent of annual turnover is made.

He added that the subsequent water crisis may well prove the final blow for many pubs fighting to survive there. He estimated that as many as 100 NI pubs are currently in receivership.