On target for the booziest summer

Thirsty pub goers have downed 815 million pints of beer in just
6 weeks, it emerged last night. And 2006 is on target to become the booziest
summer ever - thanks to the football World Cup and the heatwave, industry
insiders said.

Owners of Britain's 60,000 pubs have taken £180 million
more than usual at this time of year. They have served 59 million more pints
than during the same six weeks last year, an increase of 7.8 per cent. Mark
Hastings, of the British Beer and Pub Association whose members own half the
country's pubs, said: 'A hot summer and the World Cup are a big boost to the
trade. Long hot summers are good for people who sell long cold drinks and beer
is the classic long cold drink.'

- Metro Monday 31st July