17/04/2007

A new study suggests drinkers are getting a raw deal in pubs – with up to a quarter of pints not meeting the full measure.

The research shows that one in four pints served in UK pubs are less than 95 per cent full and it suggests this is costing beer drinkers a staggering £481 million every year.

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has launched a nationwide petition (and for the first time taken out adverts in national newspapers, see right) to call on the Government to end short measures. The campaign group says Labour made an election promise to legislate against short measures in 1997 but this was not fulfilled.

The group’s survey of local authorities’ trading standards departments has revealed that 26.6 per cent of all pints served are over 5 per cent short measure, and in the worst case one was found to be 13 per cent short of a full pint.