A licensee in Bedminster says he could be driven out of business if a pub company hikes up his rent.

Tony Kyriacou, 50, who runs the White Hart in Bedminster Parade, says Enterprise Inns wants to increase his rent from £800 a month to £1,000 a month from December, even though trade has dropped off this year.

And he says the fall in custom has been caused by factors out of his control – what he sees as a decline of the area surrounding his pub and the economic downturn.

Mr Kyriacou, who took over the pub on a five-year lease in December ahead of a £70,000 refurbishment, said: "I've had a meeting with someone from Enterprise and they say we have to supply evidence to them to explain why we can't afford the rent increase.

"I've also been advised to open earlier each day and start serving breakfasts but there are already lots of cafes around here."

Mr Kyriacou, who has previously run pubs in Stokes Croft, Easton and Eastville, added: "We've stated our case and put it in black and white but they want to put the rent up by £200-a-week from December 1. We would struggle to survive with the rent going up."

The licensee says "undesirables" hanging around near his pub have approached his customers for money in recent months.

Mr Kyriacou, who said the White Hart had a bad reputation before he took over, invested £15,000 of his own money in the refurbishment, with Enterprise Inns contributing the remaining £55,000.

Pam Watkins, spokeswoman for Enterprise Inns, which owns more than 7,000 pubs, said the company didn't comment on private and confidential matters.