By Emma McClarkin OBE

Britain has a loneliness problem.

The numbers are stark: one in four people face loneliness, according to the ONS. The consequences - for our health, our economy, and our communities - are also well documented.

But what we rarely talk about is one of the factors that make loneliness worse: when the local pub - often one of the only community hubs - closes its doors for good.

The British Beer and Pub Association’s latest polling confirms what many instinctively know: pubs are far more than places to buy a drink.

Nearly two-thirds of the public agree that pubs are vital in tackling loneliness and isolation - a view that rises to over 70% in parts of the country hit hardest by........

© LBC