MORE than a third of Yorkshire’s pubs and bars are defined as “at risk of failure” in the next 12 months, according to research by R3, the insolvency trade body.

The figure of 35 per cent of pubs is slightly higher than the national average of 34 per cent and compares to a cross-sector average of 22 per cent of businesses “at risk” in the county.

Robert Adamson , chair of R3 in Yorkshire, said: “There is a considerably higher proportion of pubs and bars at risk, when compared to the cross-sector average both in Yorkshire and nationally.

“The recession has gone on far longer than could have been predicted and it is getting harder for people to find the money to spend on discretionary items.

“For many, going to the pub after work is being replaced by buying cheaper alcohol in the supermarkets, and the strain on pubs and bars is really showing.”

The research also reveals that 33 per cent of restaurants in Yorkshire are at risk of failure in the next 12 months.