DERBYSHIRE has lost a tenth of its pubs since the start of the decade, shock figures show.

Statistics compiled by local members of the Campaign for Real Ale show more than 50 county pubs have closed in the past eight years.

Factors such as the sale of discounted alcohol in supermarkets, the after-effects of the smoking ban, and pub visits falling out of fashion have been blamed.

The campaign points out how giant pub chains ask punitively high rents from licensees, which soak up any profits.

Publicans say they are having to work up to 80 hours a week to keep their businesses viable.

And campaigners say, as pub beer sales fall to their lowest since the Great Depression of the 1930s, they are seriously concerned by the disappearance of Derbyshire pubs.

Julian Tubbs, regional co-ordinator for Camra, said "Everyone involved in trying to keep community pubs going believes they are under serious threat.

"There are certainly a lot of people who are having a rough time of things at the moment."

The Camra survey that lists the closed pubs covered South Derbyshire, in the area of a triangle between Melbourne, Ashbourne and Alfreton.

Mr Tubbs said: "Beer is being sold as a loss leader at such insanely attractive prices in the supermarkets that, in many cases, people are simply saying no to the pub."