Wales lost the greatest number of pubs in the first half of the year, with 52 disappearing, while London and the North West lost 46 each.... Chris Miles owns the Fleece in Richmond, North Yorkshire, and a few months ago decided to sell up:" I just thought'I can't solve this problem'," he told BBC News.... " It's a three-way squeeze," he said-citing staffing, running costs and taxation as the causes....

Experts have painted a gloomy picture for retail( Image: Getty) Rachel Reeves has been warned that her Budget could lead to huge job losses in the UK. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has been criticised for increasing the share of National Insurance contributions that employers will have to fork out for from April. DON'T MISS Powered by HMRC warning to avoid' ￡100 fine'as even those on state pension risk missing deadline 4 Comments More taxes on way warns expert after shock UK economy downgrade