A Keighley brewery boss said the high level of excise tax on beer in the UK was unfairly targeting his industry.

Charles Dent, managing director of Timothy Taylor, said the tax was six times higher in this country than in France and eight times higher than the rate in Germany.

He added that the Government’s Progressive Beer Duty gave tax breaks to micro-breweries, but hit companies such as Taylor's, which are not huge enterprises but are still too large to qualify for the benefit.

Mr Dent warned: “Beer duty has risen by more than 40 per cent in the last four years. Beer sales are declining, which means the Government is quietly killing the golden goose that is providing them with an income.

“The easiest place in which to create more jobs is in the hospitality sector.

"But if the Government wants to stimulate jobs in brewing and hospitality, then they need to reduce the overall level of this excise tax, which is far too high.”