CASH-STRAPPED leaseholders across York have held crisis talks amid fears their pubs face closure as the economic downturn continues to bite.

A meeting was held yesterday involving leaseholders of The Bay Horse, in Blossom Street, the Cock & Bottle, in Skeldergate, and The Windmill, in Blossom Street, who all say they could be pulling their last pints in as little as three months.

They cite rising bills, an increase in the cost of beer, rival chain pubs that offer price-busting food and drinks and the credit crunch as the main reasons why they believe they could soon be calling time permanently.

Dee Ralph leases The Bay Horse and turns 60 in March, but she says she probably won’t be in the pub she has leased for the past 25 years by then.

“The smaller pubs that make York what it is are slowly being killed off,” she said. “We cannot possibly manage with the way things are in the current climate.”

The meeting was held following an article in The Press on Tuesday after Jill Greaves, leaseholder of The Deramore Arms, in Heslington, and The Rose & Crown, in Lawrence Street, said her two pubs were in jeopardy. She blamed the fact bigger companies were able to offer booze at vastly reduced prices – such as the Wetherspoon chain which is currently offering its customers pints for as little as 99p and two meals for £5.

“She is right,” said Dee. “We cannot buy our beer for as cheap as they sell it.

“We cannot compete with places like Wetherspoon.

“I would like to ask people to return to their local pubs,” she said. “But the fact of the matter is why would someone come to our pubs and pay £2.40 a pint when they can go over the road or up the street and get one for 99p?”

Peter Pendlebury, 48, of The Windmill pub, pays about £100,000 annually in rent and council tax, yet has made a loss of £40,000 since 2007.

“By the end of March I am likely to be out,” he said. “I have been working in pubs since I was 15 – now I do not know what to do.”

The three leaseholders say a big factor in their recorded losses was down to the Ebor race meeting being cancelled last summer. “I personally have lost £23,000 from that alone,” said Dee.

Andrea Welsh is the leaseholder of the Cock & Bottle. She said her pub could be shutting in May.

“We are all just frustrated,” she said.

“Smaller local pubs are what York is all about, but I think this is the beginning of the end for them.”