NEW data has revealed the extent of the spending in Sussex during the Eat Out To Help Out scheme last year.
The government scheme was introduced to help hospitality venues recover from the huge blow of the first national lockdown.
The campaign ran from August 3 to August 31, offering customers the chance to halve their bills at many of their favourite restaurants, pubs, bars and more, with the businesses able to claim the savings back from HM Revenue and Customers.
But it has since come under heavy criticism for encouraging large numbers of people out into public places during the coronavirus pandemic.