Pub closures could rip the heart out of many communities in Kent, according to one of the county's MPs.

Hugh Robertson, MP for Faversham, is calling for the Government to scrap a planned duty increase on beer and the Department of Health’s consultation, which will bring in more regulations on the licensing trade.

He is concerned the new expensive regulations will force more pubs to close as the credit crunch hits harder.

Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association say at present five pubs are closing a day nationally. This actually equates to 36 pubs a week when the average is taken for the whole year.

Mr Robertson said the Government does not realise what impact their changes are having.

"Pubs are feeling the squeeze at the moment. There has been a considerable increase in the number of regulations governing the license trade and the impact of the licensing act has not helped," he said.

"The constantly rising duty on beer is a real concern and new Department of Health guidelines will cost a lot of money for pubs to implement.

"In my constituency there are lots of small villages where the pub is the main hub of the community. Many of these villages have already lost their post office and do not have a store so the pub is a very important meeting place.

"If these pubs close because they cannot afford to stay open the heart of these communities will be ripped out.

"Unless changes are made and the proposed regulations are scrapped there is no doubt more pubs will disappear as we go into a recession."

A Shepherd Neame spokesman said: “Due to the Government’s punitive alcohol duty increases, people are increasingly staying at home to drink. Shepherd Neame operates a high quality portfolio of pubs and does not anticipate the closure of any pubs.”