Beer giant InBev yesterday said sales of its flagship beer Stella Artois had fallen sharply in the UK.

The Belgian brewer said worldwide sales of Stella dropped by 3.9 per cent, which it attributed primarily to the "weak UK market".

The Leuven-based group said the UK and Ireland was its worst performing market in western Europe.

Overall half year volumes in the UK dropped by 9.7 per cent and contributed to a decline in Europe of 4.6 per cent.

InBev has been avoiding cutting the price of Stella in the UK, saying it would devalue the beer's image.

A spokeswoman for InBev said: " There is a value attached to consumers' perception of the Stella brand, so if you start discounting it, it could involve risks."