THREE out of six pubs in one of Preston's most rundown areas have had to close in the last 18 months.

New Hall Lane, one of the key gateways into the city, is becoming notorious for its bricked-up buildings.

Now the British Beer and Pub Association fears more pubs could go the same way without investment in the area from the council.

Councillor Albert Richardson, representative for St Matthew's ward, is worried about the effect of the trend on his ward.

He said: "It's a home, a shopping area. People actually live and tread the pavements up and down and they shop there.

"The only ward in this town that has next to nothing spent on it is St Matthew's. The latest money that is coming in is for AvenCentral funding, and it appears St Matthew's isn't getting anything at all."

Of the remaining pubs in New Hall Lane, the Hesketh Arms, Belle Vue and the Birley Arms are still open. But the Birley Arms is being run by a holding company while its owners search for a new licensee.

The nearby Acregate pub has now been boarded up, the Queen Adelaide has been closed about a year and the New Hall Lane Tavern was pulled down about 18 months ago.

Coun Richardson said: "The residents are always complaining about the state of New Hall Lane. There are burned boarded up and tumble down buildings.

"If these pubs go, it's a loss to the social life of our community. If the Birley closes and they can't sell it then we could have one pub left on New Hall Lane."

Lee Le Clercq, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "It would take a very brave pub company to invest a lot of money in New Hall Lane. It would be better to invest their money somewhere else unless there was support from the council."

But a spokesman for the Union Pub Company, which runs the Birley Arms, said: "It's obviously a challenging area because of what has happened with the other pubs but that doesn't mean it couldn't be run as a viable business."

And a spokesman for the Pub Estate Company said: "The Acregate is closed at this moment in time since we are recruiting for it. It is only a temporary closure."