Following a Wetherby Pubwatch meeting this week, landlords said they believed both the smoking ban and the recent economic slow-down were just some of the factors behind the drop in customer numbers.

Another major factor, according to Lloyd Gough, manager of Wetherby’s Bar Thr3 on Market Place, was the low price of alcohol in supermarkets, which taxation prevents bars from competing with.

Mr Gough said: “This government is killing the trade. I think everybody is suffering and with more job cuts announced every week and inflation rising, the situation will only get worse.

“People don’t go out like they used to during the week either as beer prices go up and the economy gets worse.”

However, Mr Gough said Bar Thr3 was performing better since it changed from being the Three Legs just over a year ago.

In preparation for the smoking ban, the bar underwent a major overhaul and began focusing on its food trade.

Mr Gough believes it has been this decision that has ensured customer numbers have remained relatively stable but he admits his staff are working harder than ever. “At the moment, it’s a case of working twice as hard to move a lot slower,” he said.

However, other local bar managers are less convinced of a general downturn.

Richard Whiteley, manager of the New Inn on Westgate, Wetherby, believes people will still go to pubs as long as they offer a good atmosphere and service. “It’s not always about price,” he said. “It’s about what you deliver and how you deliver it.”