BOLTON residents shelled out more money in the pub when allowed back indoors, new figures suggest.

But limits on social contact mean spending is still below pre-pandemic levels.

Hospitality and pub industry leaders have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding support for their sector following the delay to the planned lifting of all restrictions on June 21.

Banking firm Revolut analysed the data of its 4,000 customers in Bolton between May 17 – when indoor hospitality resumed – and June 13.

Punters spent 58 per cent more in pubs over this period than they did compared to the previous month – when only outdoor hospitality was allowed. But spending was still 38 per cent below that pre-pandemic, in February 2020.

Across Great Britain, spending in the month since pubs reopened their doors for indoor service was still 58 per cent lower than last February.

Mr Johnson pushed back the end of England’s coronavirus restrictions to July 19 due to concerns over the rapidly spreading Delta variant first identified in India.

Pubs had been preparing to welcome customers back with no limits on social contact or group sizes from tomorrow.