PUB goers should be optimistic about the future of the trade in the county, a real ale spokesman has said.

Herefordshire has bucked the trend for the number of pubs closing their doors for good compared to closures in the the rest of the UK, figures from CAMRA have revealed.

The county lost 21 pubs between 2010-18 and gained eight, leaving a net loss of 13.

Nationally, there are 54 local authorities where 30 or more pubs have closed, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The contrast can be seen for cultural and economic reasons, Mark Haslam from Herefordshire CAMRA explained.

The county still has a large number of freehold pubs which means they are not owned by brewery or company. As a result, these pubs tend buy local products and develop their own identity.

Mark explained that there is still strong demand for country and city centre pubs, with pub closures hitting post-industrial areas such as the Black Country the hardest.

Herefordshire did not have enough suburban pubs in the first place to close.

Speaking of the vibrancy of the pub scene in the county, Mark pointed to the successes of new establishments The Beer in Hand and The Firefly in Hereford, The Crown in Ledbury and the recent reopening of the Chequers in Leominster.

The county can also look forward to the opening of a new micro-pub called The Tap in Ross-on-Wye on the site of the former Alton Port Brewery and the planned micro brewery opening in the old tourist information office in Leominster.

Pubs still face a tough time however, and Herefordshire CAMRA is currently supporting campaigns to save village pubs in the county, including the Bell Inn in Yarpole and The Boot in Orleton.

Mark said: "There are still some wonderful quirky pubs in the county which are little throwbacks to the past. We can be really proud of them."

He added: "We have to make sure that every pub has the possibility of a future."