PUB group Greene King said it suffered tougher trading in the second half of its financial year, despite record sales at Easter and Valentine’s Day.

The firm, which runs around 1,900 pubs and restaurants, said in an update that like-for-like sales edged up 0.4 per cent in the 51 weeks to April 26, hindered by strong comparatives against last year and the impact of new drink driving legislation in Scotland.

Greene King, which owns the Hungry Horse and Loch Fyne brands, said without this law like-for-like sales would have been 0.8 per cent higher. In Easter it achieved record sales with 800,000 diners over the holiday weekend, with same-store sales up 2.4 per cent. On Valentine’s Day it secured record sales of £4 million.

Brewing volumes were up 4.1 per cent. It pledged to invest the 1p cut in beer duty from the Budget to recruit more staff across its pub estate, which includes The Chapel House at Low Moor and The Ancient Foresters, Wibsey.