THE average price of a pint of ale in Worcestershire pubs has almost hit £2.50, new figures show.

But the cost of drinking in the county still remains significantly below the national average according to editors of the Good Pub Guide 2009, which is released today.

The new edition of the guide states that the average price of a pint of bitter in Worcestershire is now £2.47, an increase of 18p on last year.

However, that seven per cent hike has been broadly echoed across the country, meaning a Worcestershire pint remains 11p less than the national average of £2.58.

The guide confirms that the price of a pint fluctuates significantly depending on whereabouts you are in Britain, from £2.25 in the West Midlands up to an eye-watering £2.88 in Surrey.

Bill Ottoway, president of the Worcester branch of Camra, said he thought £2.47 was still a fair price to pay.

He said: “I think that’s quite a reasonable price for a pint of beer. If you travel around the country there are places where you’ll pay a lot more than that.

“The concern for me is not the price people paying for beer in pubs, it’s when people source cheap alcohol from other places such as supermarkets that’s the issue.”

The guide’s prestigious UK Pub of the Year award has remained within the three counties, being awarded this year to the Golden Heart near Brimpsfield in Gloucestershire. The 2008 winner was the Nag’s Head in Malvern.