IF you've noticed the price of a pint has shot up in York, it might not be Gordon Brown's fault.

Landlords revealed today that costs rose by as much as 10p in some pubs even before last week's Budget, after several leading brewers imposed rises in February.

But landlords say they still hope to keep short-term prices stable despite last week's decision by Gordon Brown to put a penny on beer duty.

A Treasury spokesman confirmed the Budget beer rise came into effect from midnight on Monday.

Mel Merry, of the Tap and Spile, York, said: "With the February rise we basically decided we would increase costs across the board then and not with the Budget.

"Luckily it was only a penny last week, so we've stood the difference because we can't keep increasing prices. It would be pointless having an empty pub."

She said: "The breweries seem to be doing this quite a lot. But you can't blame the Government: a penny on beer was fairly reasonable."

Pub landlords now face the dilemma of whether to pass on rising costs imposed by breweries paying far higher duty than continental rivals, via management companies, on to customers - and risk losing valuable trade.

"We're trying not to increase prices on the back of the Budget rise," admitted Blue Bell landlady Sue Hardie.

She said she would not be surprised if another Budget-driven brewery price hike came hot on the heels of February's.

At the Blue Bell, York, where prices have risen by between 5p and 8p since January, the most expensive beer is Abbot Ale at £2.25.

A spokesman for the Campaign for Real Ale said it was "a bit sneaky" of big brewers to push prices up pre-Budget. But he pointed to Sam Smiths brewery at Tadcaster as an example of a brewery that has kept prices low - £1.18 a pint in one of its York pubs.

Slamming the Budget rise, he said: "A penny might not sound like much, but following wholesale price rises by some brewers, some pubs will now be charging 12p a pint more than a month ago.

"At a time when beer consumption is falling and pub-going in decline this is a disappointing outcome for licensees and consumers.

Outside the Sam Smith empire, however, one York inn we contacted appeared "bullet proof" on price.

"Prices have not gone up since I started here last summer," said Martin Hagan, landlord at the Bootham Tavern, who pulls a pint of John Smiths smooth at £2.

"I'm not sure how we've managed it."

Beer price comparisons - (Feb2004/today)

Blue Bell, Fossgate, York: Tim Taylor Landlord bitter (£2.15/£2.20), Adnams bitter (£1.98/£2.06)

Tap and Spile, Monkgate, York: IPA bitter (£1.98/£2.10), premium lagers (£2.50/£2.60)

Swan Inn, Clementhorpe, York: Tim Taylor Landlord (£2.10/£2.15), IPA (£2/£2.10)

Updated: 08:31 Thursday, March 25, 2004