EAST Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has called for a new type of partnership between pubs, licensees and the community in an effort to reduce the number of pub closures in a debate in Parliament.

Mr Hinds began his speech by outlining the importance of pubs to East Hampshire, naming "community hubs" such as the Fox and Pelican, in Grayshott, and "beautiful countryside pubs that form part of our national image and attract people to visit this country", such as The Queens at Selborne and The Selborne Arms.

Pubs, he explained, were of huge financial benefit to the local economy.

Research, by Oxford Economics, shows that pubs add £35m to the East Hampshire economy, and provide 1,396 jobs in the area.

However, Mr Hinds also noted the number of pub closures that the district had suffered and outlined ways in which this could be avoided in the future.

For full story, see this week's Bordon Herald.