BEER drinkers across the North-west have pledged to fight plans to close Manchester's Boddingtons brewery.

The Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) is resurrecting its Boddingtons Action Group to oppose Interbrew's decision to switch production to Lancashire, Scotland and Wales.

"We're appalled at this decision," said Camra's chief executive Mike Benner, adding that Interbrew was "riding roughshod over British brewing".

The Belgian firm plans to move cask brewing to another site in Manchester.

The Boddingtons Action Group was set up in 1989 to fight the takeover of the former family firm by Whitbread, itself taken over by Interbrew in 2000.