A STAGGERING 3,530 pubs in England have closed since Labour came to power, according to figures released yesterday.
And Tories warn that Gordon Brown?s *policies will force thousands more to shut if Labour wins a fourth term.
Treasury figures show a total of 3,530 shut between 1997 and 2009.
Worst hit is Southwark, south-east London, with 110 pubs going.
There were also 100 closures in *Liverpool, 90 in Birmingham, and 90 in Tower Hamlets, east London. Sixty went in Dudley and 60 in Sandwell, both West *Midlands. And 60 closed in Salford and another 60 in Rochdale.
Tories blame Labour?s rising beer duty, pushing up tax on alcohol above *inflation every year and the Prime *Minister?s new *business rates bill.
Shadow Local Government Minister Bob Neill said: ?Under Labour there has been a surge in alcohol-fuelled violence in our high streets, while local community pubs have gone to the wall. Pubs now face the *perfect storm of above-*inflation hikes in business rates, escalating alcohol duty and unfair loss-leading by supermarkets.?
Government figures show there were 49,780 pubs in England in 1997 compared with 46,250 in 2009, the latest year for which figures are available.
