PUBLICANS in Cheltenham are hoping the Government will put a freeze on beer tax when the new Budget is announced tomorrow.
Landlords in the town have called on Chancellor George Osborne to stop the beer duty escalator, which hikes the levy by two per cent above inflation each year, to help safeguard the pub industry.
It has seen beer tax increase by 42 per cent in the past four years.
Grant Cook, owner of the Sandford Park Alehouse, said: "It is forcing people to cut down on the amount they go to pubs, which is why landlords are struggling."
Members of the Campaign for Real Ale travelled to London in December to lobby the Government on the issue.