Supermarkets have used the VAT rise to land shoppers with giant price rises on beer, wine and spirits, a Sunday Mirror survey shows. Last week's tax increase from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent means prices should have only gone up by 2.5 per cent. But our research reveals Britain's biggest supermarkets have ramped up the cost of alcohol by up to 43 per cent - over 20 times as much. Researchers found a 500ml bottle of Budweiser lager at Tesco had increased from £1.27 to £1.62 - up 27 per cent - between the old and new VAT regimes, while a bottle of Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon at Sainsbury's went from £5.49 to £7.65, up 43 per cent. - Sunday Mirror
Given the furore triggered by the revelation that the government would be willing to introduce a two-thirds of a pint glass, known generally as a schooner, there's a simple way to resist the new measure. A 1988 amendment to the law allows beer to be served in quantities of a pint, half-pint and - little known to most drinkers - one-third of a pint. Order two one-third measures, pour them into a single glass, and there is your all-British Ashes toast. - William Langley, writing in the Daily Telegraph
Every pub in the UK will be allowed to stay open until 1am for two successive nights of partying to celebrate the forthcoming royal wedding. The unprecedented move will let revellers drink late into the night after Prince William and Kate Middleton marry on Friday, April 29, and continue the celebrations on Saturday night, the Sunday Mirror can reveal. Ministers are expected to unveil the move within days to help pubs, bars and clubs plan special events. The decision means landlords will be able to extend their hours without seeking permission from local licensing authorities. - Sunday Mirror
The head of Scotland's largest fire service has hit out at the country's alcohol culture, after a spate of house fires led to an "unprecedented level of tragedy and misery" over the festive period. Brian Sweeney, chief officer of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, said Scottish society had to accept that alcohol misuse, not economic troubles, were the "greatest crisis" facing the country. He said it was the "key reason" behind the series of fires over the Christmas and Hogmanay period, the worst for a decade. - Scotsman
Pubs are closing at a rate of 29 per week, and, as licensees scramble to make a living, the gap between the price of beer in supermarkets and pubs has widened. And it doesn't help that a large proportion of the nation's licensed premises are owned by vast, highly leveraged pub corporations which are essentially property firms intent on squeezing every possible drop of rent out of their leaseholders. At the current rate of beer inflation, a pint will cost £4 by 2018. We risk turning into a nation of stay-at-home drinkers slurping lager in front of the television. - Andrew Clark, writing in the Observer