Two Croydon pubs have been named in Britain's number one beer guide.

The Ship of Fools in London Road and The Skylark in Southend are listed on the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide 2009.

The pubs were chosen by members of the local branch of CAMRA who made regular visits to check the quality of the ale, for which they received praise.

Caz Mackay, manager of The Ship of Fools, said: “We offer our customers an excellent range of real ales at all times including those from regional brewers and microbrewers.

“Our staff work hard to ensure that the real ales are kept in first class condition at all times and the pub’s inclusion in the guide highlights this.”

A CAMRA spokesman said: “It is our belief that if a licensee serves an excellent pint of real ale, then everything else in the pub, including customer service, quality of food, décor and atmosphere, are likely to be of an equally high standard.”