A Wortley landlady is taking on the country's biggest pub chain – by slashing the cost of a pint of beer to 98p.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from Wortley Today.Sue Hibbert, landlady at the Railway Club, made her move after Wetherspoon's cut the price of a pint in its 700 pubs to 99p – the lowest cost of drinking for 20 years.
* CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON THIS STORY AND OTHERS IN WORTLEY AND FARNLEY.But Ms Hibbert, who took over the Railway Club a year ago, has gone a penny better with her Tetley's Smooth.
"I thought if they are going to do it at 99p I will do it at 98p," the experienced publican said.
"Everybody's struggling at the moment with the credit crunch and we want to help people through it.
"If Wetherspoon's can do it, so can we. It's David and Goliath, so bring it on!"
Analysts have already predicted Wetherspoons' move will spark a major drinks price war.
But alcohol workers in Leeds today warned of a rise in binge drinking and more pressure on hospital A & E departments.
One worker at a leading Leeds drugs and alcohol service, who asked not to be named, said: "The price of alcohol does affect the amount that people drink, so this is cause for concern.
"It is a bad thing that prices are coming down. I would certainly advise against it on health grounds."
Paul Johnstone, from The Great Drink Debate, which is conducting the largest survey of drinking in the UK, said: "A bargain is one thing but if you end up in A&E, those cheap pints could turn out to be expensive.
"The Government recently announced plans to crack down on irresponsible alcohol promotions and anyone selling alcoholic drinks has a duty to help reduce excessive drinking."
But Ms Hibbert is confident that the price war will not affect people's health – and will only benefit their pockets. "Ultimately it doesn't matter if people are paying 98p a pint or £1.70, people in pubs will still drink the same amount," she said.
A recent study commissioned by the Department of Health found that 80 per cent of drinkers said price did have an impact on how much alcohol they drink.
A pint at The Railway used to cost £1.70. The nationwide average was £2.45.
