UK’s beer sales have increased by 1.3%, after nine consecutive years of decline, which saw beer sales drop by 24%.

The increase in beer sales is due to duty cuts on alcohol by the Chancellor, said British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

The two, one penny beer duty cuts have secured 16,000 jobs.

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "British beer is back in growth – and we want to keep it that way. But with seventy per cent of pub drink sales being beer, the picture for our much loved pubs is still fragile.

"That is why another duty cut from the Chancellor is vital. It will build on the success of two very popular tax cuts in the past two years, and boost jobs in an industry that employs 900,000 people, almost half of whom are 16-24 year olds. That has got to be good news."

BBPA said that the drop in sales from 2008 to 2013 was due to increase in beer duty by 42%, under the beer tax escalator policy.

It also highlights that around 7,000 pubs were closed, resulting in 58,000 job cuts during 2008 to 2013.

As per the figures released by BBPA, off-trade sales grew by 3.5%, matching the growth of last year, and taking off-licence and supermarket sales above on-trade sales, for the first time on record.