Pubs in Britain are selling 20% fewer pints than they were selling 3 years ago as the toughest trading environment continued to make them struggle.

Sales volumes in pubs, for 3 months to September end, declined by 8.1% according to data released by the British Beer & Pub Association. This deterioration in performance is not skewed by the smoking ban in public places introduced in July 2007. This has dashed the sector’s hopes that the ban would be withdrawn or suspended for some time.

The situation is not different in supermarkets and off-licences where a 6% decline in sales is reported, the first drop since early last year, although some industry insiders were dismissing it as supermarket price wars before Christmas.

Trading at Globe Pub Company, owned by Robert Tchenguize, has worsened to such an extent that it led to triggering a “cash trap” clause in a securitised debt agreement, which bars the company from dividend distribution. Loan recall demands from Icelandic bank Kaupthing has forced Tchenguiz, one of highest-profile entrepreneurs in Britain, to sell stakes in Sainsbury’s and Mitchells & Butlers at more than £800m loss.

Punch is another pub badly affected by the slump. It has decided not to pay a final dividend this year.

A large number of lessee publicans have become critical of Punch, Globe and other landlord groups known as pubcos. A member of Fair Pint campaign group, Brian Jacob, alleged that pubcos had been acting irresponsibly the same way as some bankers have been since many years.