A POPULAR Newport pub is not attracting customers as it used to. Trade is down some 15 per cent, a staff of 17 has been reduced to 12 and if there is no dramatic improvement more staff will have to go.

But this is not a case of a run-down pub, poor food or bad service, it's the price that publican Andy Parker is paying for the city's new Southern Distributor Road.

It's now a year since Lighthouse Road leading to The Stonehouse was closed off leaving the pub's regulars to make an awkward circuitous route and suffer the outrageous traffic jams at certain times of the day.

"My customers don't seem to know where we are any more. The truth is there are easier places to go.

"After our main entrance via Lighthouse Road had been blocked off trade slumped. The afternoon trade is now non-existent and the evening trade has slacked off leaving us in a pretty poor position," said Andy.

Whereas the pub had enjoyed a year-on increase in trade of between 12 and 15 per cent it suddenly stopped with the present Christmas period showing further slump of four per cent.

"I'm the first to recognize that the road has to be built to serve this developing city but I am amazed that no council official or anybody from the construction company actually came round to sound out our position before closing the road.

"On top of that no-one has inquired whether we needed road signs to show where we are."

Now he is asking the city council for a reduction in rates and help from his local councillor Garry Brown.

But even after trying to lift trade by spending the largest amount of money yet on Christmas advertising with little result, Andy battles on.

The fact that the pub was a finalist in the 2002 South Wales Argus Restaurant of the Year competition is evidence enough of the culinary skills of its chefs - including Andy - and shows the dominance it had for good quality best-value-for-money meals in the city.

The present promotion of two-for-one meals heightens the pub's fantastic menu, one that caters for all tastes with dishes from Italy, Asia and the Orient and specialist meals for vegetarians.

The pub, part of 380-strong Brewers Fayre chain, is due for a major refurbishment but that may have to be put off until the distributor road is finished.

"We're still turning out the best meals in the business so I'm hoping that a year from now it will be business as usual," said Andy.