PEOPLE who use a local pub are not only significantly happier than those who do not but also have higher life satisfaction and more close friends, according to new research.

The report, written by Oxford University professor Robin Dunbar for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was released last week and highlights the “integral role of pubs in providing a venue to meet people and build friendships”. While 40 per cent of people in the UK now typically socialise with friends in someone’s home, a third of the population prefer to do so in pubs.

Steve Godwin from Salisbury’s Business Improvement District, said there were more more than 30 pubs in the city centre alone.

He said: “The last few years have been tough for local pubs, and with a major recession lasting for over eight years, the fact that people are more responsible in their drinking habits, and a changing social culture has meant that many of our pubs have either closed or had to reinvent themselves to survive.

“In the city since the summer, we have seen a number of pubs change hands or even sell up, and this at one point looked to be a worrying trend.

“We seem to have turned the corner though and it is interesting to note that the good pubs survive, or open with a more varied offer aimed at for specific target markets.”

The report by Dunbar concludes with a series of recommendations to the government, publicans and city planners to keep more pubs open.