A supermodel turned landlord is calling on the government to cut beer duty to save Britain's struggling pubs.

Jodie Kidd, who owns The Half Moon pub in Kirdford, near Billingshurst, said pubs were the "backbone of local communities up and down the country" and urged ministers to act now to save sites from being lost for good.

The pandemic has forced pubs to shut for months at a time as the UK was plunged into three national lockdowns. And, when they could reopen, they could operate at only a fraction of their usual capacity due to social distancing restrictions.

With The Half Moon being a small village pub, Jodie found it struggled to make a profit while opening under Covid-secure conditions.

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

She said: "Throughout the last year, the pub industry has had to make huge financial sacrifices.

"Landlords like me are desperate to be open and welcome back our locals at the right time, but the thought of having tax increases to cope with on top of all this is unbearable.

"A cut in beer duty will help pubs which are the backbone of local communities up and down the country.

"Not only do they provide livelihoods but also a social and cultural hub that so many of us are deeply missing at the moment."

The 42-year-old has thrown her support behind the Long Live The Local campaign which asks the government to cut beer duty - the tax on producing and selling beer.

The UK has one of the highest rates of beer duty in the world and this is forecast to rise in the upcoming budget.

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Landlords and brewers up and down the country are arguing this will be another unnecessary obstacle as they try to recover from the devastating impacts of the coronavirus crisis.

Jodie said: "Pubs face a range of tax pressures including VAT, business rates and beer duty.

"I first backed the Long Live The Local campaign in 2018 when pubs were already struggling to survive, with three pubs closing every day.

"The government must act to help save pubs from the dire situation they face now.

"Following a year of lockdowns, severe trading restrictions and huge uncertainty, almost 2,000 pubs closed their doors for good.

"That's five local pubs every day gone for ever.

"We must do everything we can to protect others from the same fate."

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Widespread support for proposals to cut beer duty has been shown through a petition linked to the Long Live The Local campaign, which has been signed almost 500,000 times.

David Cunningham, programme director for Long Live The Local, said: "Almost half a million people have signed the petition and 250,000 have written to their MP urging them to cut beer duty to help local pubs and brewers.

"While a freeze in beer duty was welcomed in March 2020, pubs and brewers have faced a year of lockdowns and severe trading restrictions.

"The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, must recognise the plight facing pubs and brewers and give them the cut for which they, and so many people, have been asking for over the last three years – it’s never been more needed.

"Without support from the government, we’re at real risk of losing thousands more pubs from our villages, towns and cities."

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, also backed the group's campaign, adding her voice to the thousands already calling for a cut in beer duty.

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

She said: "The industry has shown resilience and agility, with many publicans turning their venues into entirely new operations in order to survive the lockdowns and continue providing vital support to their local communities.

"We appreciate all the Chancellor has provided for the beer and pub industry throughout the pandemic, but the job is far from over.

"A cut in beer duty will give our publicans and brewers an opportunity to reduce mounting costs, allowing them to survive and thrive when they are able to open again."