It is well documented that pubs are disappearing from our cities, towns and villages at an alarming rate.

Several factors, chiefly the availability of cheap booze elsewhere, are sounding the death knell for many ‘locals’.

Keighley district has seen more than its fair share of such closures in recent years.

This week, two separate stories have provided evidence, were it needed, of the vital community role played by pubs, which sets them way above simply existing as places to buy a pint.

The Waggon & Horses at Oxenhope – an essential element of the village’s famous annual straw race, which raises thousands of pounds for charity – has closed and is on the market.

And fears have been voiced about the future of Haworth’s Black Bull, once the haunt of Branwell Bronte, after a ‘To Let’ sign appeared. The owners have acknowledged the hostelry’s importance and are actively seeking a new tenant.

Some say the disappearance of pubs is just a sign of the times. But the fabric of many communities is being eroded as a result, and every effort must be made to reverse the trend.