By Amber Murray Around 50 pubs per month ‘vanished’ from England and Wales in the first half of the year as hospitality struggled with costs and tax rates. The overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 39,096 at the end of the first half of 2024, down by 305 compared with 39,401 at the end of 2023, according to data from Altus. The North West lost the most pubs of any region, with 46 venues disappearing during the first six months of the year. A total of 472 pubs were lost, 25 of which were in London. Pubs have been struggling with so…