A LEADING real ale pressure group is calling on the Trade and Industry Secretary to take urgent action to safeguard the future of Britain's brewery industry.

Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) is lobbying Patricia Hewitt and the Office of Fair Trading to support 400 breweries and 60,000 pubs.

Members fear more and more local pubs could fall into the hands of big foreign investors who will offer only a handful of mainstream brands of beer.

The campaign has been launched at a time when the face of the brewing industry in the North-East could change forever.

Hartlepool pub chain Pubmaster has launched a hostile takeover bid for Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, owners of the Hartlepool brewery Camerons.

But Camra has warned that the bid, backed by a German investment bank, would see a further 1,500 pubs across the country come under foreign ownership.

Brendan Boyle, a member of Camra's Darlington branch, said: "There is a threat to the very British, very distinctive style of brewing cask conditioned beers."

"That's what sets us apart from just about every other brewing culture in the world. These big multi-nationals don't know much about it and aren't interested.

"They're more interested in selling the sort of beers seen at international football matches.

"But these are the ones which are almost literally being forced down our throats because the choice is diminishing."

Camra will call upon visitors at the Great British Beer Festival starting today to back its campaign.

About 40,000 visitors are expected at the five day event at London Olympia.