Guinness has pulled out of New York’s St Patrick’s Day parade over the exclusion of LGBT groups.

The brewer said in a written statement issued by a spokesman for its UK parent company, Diageo, “Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade.”

“As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy,” Guinness said.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said last month that he would not march in the parade because of the organisers’ decision to ban LGBT groups from displaying any banners or flags that promote homosexuality.

On Friday, two other major beer companies, Sam Adams brewer Boston Beer Co and Heineken dropped their sponsorship of parade over the issue.

The annual New York City Parade has been held for the past 252 and is the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the world.