Last week pubs were finally able to invite customers back to their beer gardens with the easing of lockdown restrictions - and drinkers in one area of Cornwall were found to be some of the biggest spenders.

Data analyst team at Dojo looked at pubs across the UK taking the largest average spend in the week following lockdown easing on April 12.

Their merchant transaction data found that the first day of pubs reopening led to four times the usual spend levels across hospitality businesses, compared to a typical Monday trading. This uptake was an extra ten to 20% more than a typical day in August.

Making the list of the top 20 biggest pub spenders last week were drinkers in Truro, which took the 20th spot.

They spent an average £17.96 per customer across the seven days between April 12 and April 18.

However, this was light weight compared to drinkers in Portsmouth, where the average spend was £40.02.

The full top 20 list reads:

Ranking - Town/City - Average spend per customer

1 Portsmouth £40.02

2 Dorchester £25.33

3 Slough £23.96

4 Southampton £23.67

5 Guildford £22.69

6 St Albans £22.08

7 Tonbridge £21.86

8 Swindon £21.49

9 Lancaster £21.30

10 Brighton £21.03

11 London £20.54

12 Crewe £20.07

13 Gloucester £19.59

14 Kingston-upon-Thames £19.19

15 Plymouth £18.93

16 Stevenage £18.66

17 Wigan £18.32

18 Chester £18.19

19 Ipswich £18.12

20 Truro £17.96

Jon Knott, head of customer insights at Dojo, part of the Paymentsense brand, said: “After over a year of lockdowns and restrictions, it is no wonder that Brits are eager to get back to normality, and for some this includes going out for drinks at the local pub.

"The average spending last week will have been high due to a number of reasons, from Brits celebrating their freedom to wanting to support their local businesses.

“As pubs and restaurants with outdoor seating areas are now permitted to open with outdoor service, customers have been flocking back. Hospitality has taken a big hit during lockdown and it’s great to now see restrictions slowly lift.

"Pubs and bars have been preparing for this moment over the past couple of months, many taking measures to ensure both their staff and customers are safe, by adopting contactless payment methods.”

A further surge is expected come May 17 when, subject to the government's roadmap continuing as planned, hospitality venues will be allowed to welcome customers back indoors also.