UNEXPECTED costs of two pub openings and sluggish trading has forced pub operator Slug and Lettuce to slow down its expansion programme.

Opening bars at Winchester and Bristol had cost more than expected, the group said, while its Northern pubs had incurred first half losses.

This, together with a sales drop due to the World Cup and wet weather last summer, saw it pull out of a number of sites.

It is now setting down stringent criteria for new bars and plans to open four or five this year, mainly in the South.

But the group, which operates 30 Slug and Lettuces, said overall the year had been a record one, thanks to excellent second half trading. This pushed pre-tax profits to the year end May 31 to £2 mil-lion, up from £757,000 for the previous period.Turnover was £26.4 million, up from £22.7 million.

Chairman Tim Thwaites said: "I believe this year has demonstrated the strength of the Slug and Lettuce concept. "Despite a slow start, the business recovered well and has gone onto produce the highest returns the group has ever recorded."

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