Farron pulls pints in Coniston

South Lakes MP Tim Farron visited the Sun Inn in Coniston yesterday evening to see for himself the challenges facing the local pub trade. While there, Tim pulled pints and discussed the state of the Lake District pub trade with the landlord, Alan Piper, and local residents.

The pub industry has been through a tough few years, and the industry recently released figures showing that every week 39 pubs close. A net total of 1,013 pubs closed their doors in the last few months of 2009, with the loss of over 10,000 jobs in local communities across Britain.

Speaking after his 'shift', Tim said: "In South Lakeland, our local pubs are at the heart of our communities. I spent last night seeing how I can help support pubs in parliament and make sure we keep as many of them as we possibly can at the centre of the community.

"Spending the evening with Alan, his staff and the regulars of the Sun Inn I got to see how we can do so much more to support the pub industry."