Diners enjoy over 10 million half-price meals in a week

British diners have been making the most of the Chancellor's "eat out to help out" eating more than 10.5million meals last week as part of a new Government plan to bolster Britain's hospitality industry, especially pubs and restaurants after months of closures.

Under the policy, guests get 50 per cent off meals on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August, up to a £10 across the board discount. The 83.000 or so eateries which are so far participating in the Eat Out programme will withdraw 50% of a client's bill from the till, which is reimbursed by the taxpayer.

'They 're eating to help,' the Chancellor said. It means the programme, which runs every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August, could have taken in £105.4million during the first week of the programme.

Major roads visited after 6pm last Monday were up 19 per cent from the previous week, while afternoon trips surged 10 per cent, Springboard, which compiles pedestrian numbers, had reported. But Springboard said its gauge of the number of people attending retail hotspots for dinner was about half that achieved last year.