A NEWQUAY landlady who has led a national campaign to save British pubs has been forced to shut her business after bailiffs cut off the electricity.

Inez Ward, who runs Mavericks pub in Henver Road with her husband Craig, closed the pub this week after they were unable to pay an £11,500 electricity bill.

However, the couple have vowed to fight on, and are even considering hiring a generator so that they can keep the pub open.

Mrs Ward said she was unable to pay the electricity bill because she was forced to hand over 70% of the pub's turnover to owners Enterprise Inns, a company she has publicly campaigned against.

She said: "I won't be beaten by them and we're going to look at generators this week, to see if we can keep the pub open."

A fund had been set up by locals in a bid to raise money for the Wards, but Inez said she was reluctant to use it.

"I want to pay my own bills; why should other people have to pay for me?

"It's obviously very upsetting to have to close now, especially as Newquay is set to have a really good summer because of the credit crunch.

"But, I think working a summer here with no staff would probably kill me."

Mrs Ward, who suffers from a heart condition, added: "I can't blame the electricity company. It's a kick in the teeth but I have no money to pay the bill. The majority of the money I take goes on paying the rent."

Mrs Ward also owes Enterprise Inns almost £11,000 in costs after a failed bid to take out an interim injunction against the company in May last year, and around £6,000 in back rent.

"We've no hot water or heating either because of the electricity being cut off but we have no choice but to stay; this is our home," she added.

"If I was a mass murderer in prison I would be living in better conditions."

Mrs Ward hit the headlines earlier this year when she led a protest march to the offices of Britain's biggest 'pubcos', including Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, demanding a fair deal on rents and beer prices.

She also runs the Justice for Licensees and the Save the Great British Pub campaign groups, which have more than 250,000 members on the social networking website Facebook.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland's All Party Parliamentary Save the Great British Pub group has invited Mrs Ward to speak at its meeting next week.

Mrs Ward added: "There is no way the trade has heard the last of me.

"Even if I have to leave my pub, I will carry on campaigning. Imagine what I could achieve with 24 hours a day to devote to the campaign for a fair deal for tenants."

To clarify; several of the quotes from Mrs Ward should be attributed to the Morning Advertiser