Campaigners today claimed traditional village life was “dying out” as new figures revealed almost 900 country pubs were forced to close last year.

The British Beer and Pub Association said 893 pubs were forced to shut in 2009. Regional secretary Richard Matthews said in the past two or three years Shropshire had lost an average of one pub per month from rural locations.

He said: “We can produce a meaningful estimate that at least one pub per month has closed in Shropshire during recent years.”

Statistics from the National Housing Federation showed key services were disappearing from village life “at an alarming rate”.

About 400 village shops closed in 2008 while rural schools shut down at the rate of one a month in England between 1997 and 2008, said the organisation, which represents England’s housing associations.

The closures reflect a declining demand for services in villages where local families had been priced out of the area by wealthy commuters, pensioners and second-home owners.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: “The cornerstones of traditional village life, such as the local school, the shop and the pub, are disappearing from the rural landscape at an alarming rate. Rural towns and villages need to have mixed, working communities, otherwise there is a very real danger our countryside will become little more than a theme park for weekenders.”

BBPA chief executive Bri gid Simmonds added: “Village pubs are pivotal to the life of local communities.”

Philip Dunne, Conservative MP for Ludlow, said his rural constituency was at the sharp end of changes to village life.

He said: “When essential services and facilities come under threat, we need to find new ways for communities to keep them going.”

John Bewley, owner and licensee of the Royal Hill pub in Edgerley, near Oswestry, said: “Pubs are important to rural life but have no God-given rights to remain busy and competitive, they need to do good food and not be too expensive.”

Norman Pearce, landlord at the Sun Inn, in Corvedale, said pubs had to adapt to survive. He said: “We made a big change by brewing our own ale. Sales of real ale are up, but lager sales are down.”

By Andy Richardson