The Bell Inn, in Finedon, has lost nearly 50 per cent of its custom in the past year as a direct result of the smoking ban.

And with the credit crunch starting to hit home, some people are avoiding pubs in favour of drinking and eating at home.

However, despite the challenges the pub’s landlord, Dennis Willmott, believes keeping to tradition and staying community-spirited will see him through.

The bar veteran, who has run the pub in Bell Hill for 39 years, said: “In three years most village pubs will be out of business.

“The day of the traditional British pub is finished. It has been killed. The smoking ban has been the nail in the coffin.”

It is believed that The Bell Inn is one of Britain’s oldest pubs and records suggest it dates back to 1042.

The original building was made with mud and wood, but the pub’s current structure was built in 1589.

Over the years Mr Willmott has tried to piece together the pub’s history, at one point finding a list of landlords dating back to 1674.

Mr Willmott said one of the reasons customers stay loyal to the pub is because of its strong sense of tradition and because bar staff treat the customers well.

But even he has struggled to keep the beer flowing during the smoking ban and believes nearly half of his customers have, reluctantly, walked out of the door so they can smoke and drink at home.

People have also been put off the rising cost of beer.

He said: “The smoking ban has had a big impact. I would never have believed it would have been as big as it was.If the Government doesn’t look at it, you’ll be lucky to find a proper village pub.”

However, Mr Willmott says it would spoil his pub if he tried to make it more modern. He added: “All you can do is keep the place nice and clean and warm and be polite to people and hope that’ll be enough. I think the village pub has got a role in the community and I hate to see what’s happening to them.”