A former boss of Midland brewer Marston's has blamed Britain's growing Muslim population for the collapse in pub numbers.
Tory peer Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts made the claim in a debate on whether to grant more freedom to landlords tied to big firms.
He said "socio-economic factors" such as a growing number of teetotal Muslims living in Britain, played a much bigger role in the decline in pubs than "rapacious" chains.