PUB goers knocked back 204 pints per minute on the first day that pubs were allowed to reopen indoors.

Pubs, restaurants, and cafes could reopen for the first time this year last Monday, as the third phase of Covid restrictions were lifted.

Data from banking firm Revolut, who took a survey of 4,000 customers in Oxford last Monday, said that drinkers in the city spent 64 per cent more than the average Monday.

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The data also showed that the biggest spenders in Oxford were men between 25 and 34 years old - slightly younger than the national average.

Nic Crawford, who is the landlord at The Spread Eagle pub on Northcourt Road in Abingdon, said it was good to finally see ‘life’ inside the pub again.

He added: “Hearing the chatter and laughter, seeing people meeting people for that first moment is so heart rendering.

“People from all ages and their families enjoying meals together and couples bringing their dogs over.

“I think the dogs are enjoying it just as much as their owners.”

Yet it hasn’t been completely plain sailing for any of the pubs across the county.

Alan Backshall who manages The Three Goats Heads on St Michael’s Street in the city centre said his pub was ‘actually pretty quite’ for a normal Monday.

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He said: “We didn’t do as much as we thought we would – it was a strange situation.

“I think a lot of people might have been put off by the Indian variant and other outbreaks.”

David Richardson, from the Oxford CAMRA branch, echoed concerns of the difficulties pubs across the country still face.

He said: “Pubs did very well even when they could only open outside.

“The vast majority of pubs have reopened which is heartening but the restrictions limit what they can do.

“Pubs have limited capacity and extra staffing costs although we know these things have to happen.”

Spending in bars, however, was still down 6 per cent on normal levels across the UK, which could be because of venues reduced capacity.

Mr Crawford said there have been several issues with people booking tables yet failing to turn up on the day.

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He said: “The only sad thing about all this is how many people book tables at different pubs, and then do not turn up for their table.

“When you contact them and you can hear them in another pub.

“This is very damaging to our business.”

But Mr Richardson said that the future is looking positive.

He added: “People are going back with confidence and that’s crucial – having the confidence to go back.

“We know pubs will battle on and we just have to hope this June 21 date doesn’t get moved on.”

The next stage of lifting lockdown, if all goes to plan, would see 'all legal limits on social contact' removed from June 21.