ARKELL'S Brewery has blamed government red tape for its decision to raise the price of its beers by 10p.

The family brewery, based in Stratton St Margaret, says the increase is needed to cover spiralling overheads.

Bosses have said that besides the 1p increase on the price of a pint introduced in the Budget, National Insurance contributions have increased and the minimum wage is also due to go up.

The firm also has to cover the cost of upgrading its 100 pubs to comply with the demands of the new Disability Discrimination Act, due to come into force next year.

The firm's managing director James Arkell said: "Each one of our landlords is running a small business in his own right.

"It has been well reported that there has been an explosion of red tape over the last few years, inevitably impacting mostly on small businesses which are incurring spiralling costs associated with their business.

"We never ever take a decision to increase our prices lightly, as we know how disappointed our customers will be, but we are committed to supporting our landlords, and this price increase will go some way towards helping them."

Beer drinker Joe Rose, 76, a retired civil servant from the town centre, said he didn't mind paying a bit extra for his pint if it meant having public services to be proud of.

He said: "I think we have an excellent National Health Service, it is probably the best in the world and I have no criticisms of it at all.

"I don't mind paying a bit more for a drink in the pub if it means we can maintain a top quality health service.

"I don't think many other people will mind either, in fact I don't think it will make any difference to pubs. People will just absorb it."