PUNTERS flocked to Swindon’s pubs in droves to enjoy a pint in the sunshine and helped landlords take in four times more money than usual on the first day of reopening.

Analysis revealed that Swindon boozers took in one of the largest average spends in the UK during that busy week where hospitality venues could finally serve people outdoors again after months of closure

Card payment company Dojo’s data revealed that a customer who visited a Swindon beer garden during the week of April 12 spent £21.49 on average, which is more cash splashed than in Lancaster and Brighton.

Swindon placed just below Tonbridge and St Albans in the rankings while Portsmouth almost doubled the town’s amount, topping the list with an average spend of £40.02 per customer.

The Sun Inn has a capacity for nearly 200 people outdoors. Landlord Mark Kemp said: “The response has been fantastic and our takings were very good, with numbers we have not seen for a long while.

“It was nice to see the regulars come for a quiet pint and have friends and family seeing each other for the first time in a while and catching up.

“People are enjoying themselves, especially on the warmer sunnier days, it’s been so well received and appreciated.

“We are happy right now and looking forward to opening up inside so we can cater for everyone, whatever the weather.”

The first day of pubs reopening led to four times the usual spending levels across hospitality, compared to a typical Monday trading. This uptake was an extra 10 to 20 per cent more than a typical day in August.

Jason Putt of The Hop Inn on Devizes Road said: "People are clearly glad to be able to go back to the pub and socialise.

"We only have a finite amount of space and have had to turn people away, which a few people have been abusive to staff about, but by and large our customers are very understanding and observe the rules.

"We've been lucky with the weather, it's been lovely. It's getting unseasonably cold now but some people can put up with low temperatures and I'm sure it'll be warmer again soon.

"Our bar staff have been racking up the miles on their FitBits because it's table service only, they're working hard, and we're looking forward to May 17 now.

"Every penny counts now."