Brewer Wadworth has announced it will donate the Chancellor’s penny cut in beer tax to charity.

The Devizes firm’s sales and marketing director, Paul Sullivan, said: “Our customers are always hugely generous when it comes to supporting local charity causes.

“So we feel confident that they will back our decision to spend the penny saved on each pint on a charity of their choice.”

Until June 30, a penny will go to a charity for every pint of draught ale or lager sold in a Wadworth-managed pub.

The pennies will accrue in a house “penny pot” and customers buying a pint will get a voting slip to nominate their favourite charity.

Votes will be counted and the pot’s contents will go to the cause with most support.

Mr Sullivan said: “We could be helping 44 charities, if every managed house decided to nominate a different charity.

“We are delighted that the Government listened to the campaign to awhich Wadworth actively supported.”