FEWER people are using the Eat Out to Help Out in Newport than elsewhere across Wales.

New data from the Centre for Cities High Street Recovery Tracker also shows that the number of people heading back to the office is lower in Newport than the rest of the country.

Using mobile phone data, the tracker shows that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has encouraged more people to visit city and town centres.

City centre footfall in Newport on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings has risen by eight per cent between late July and early August.

That rise is in line with the UK average, but far lower than Wales' other major cities.

Swansea has seen a rise of 19 per cent, the sixth highest in the UK, and Cardiff saw a rise of 11 per cent.

South Wales Argus:

The scheme offers customers at participating venues a 50 per cent discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks (up to £10 discount per person).

To take part, visit a participating venue any Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday until August 31.

These are the Newport restaurants participating in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

The data also showed that workers in Newport are the least likely to return to work in the office in Wales.

Only six cities in the UK showed fewer people heading back to work than Newport.

South Wales Argus:

Despite the UK Government’s calls to get people back to the office, the number of people returning to work in the city has actually fallen since the end of June.

Newport has seen a four per cent drop in the number of workers in the city centre.

Cardiff and Swansea both saw rises of four and five per cent respectively, while there was no change in the national average.

Overall, Newport has seen a 10 per cent rise in footfall in the city centre from late June until early August.

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That is lower than the UK average, and also lower than both Swansea (26 per cent) and Cardiff (17 per cent).

But why is Swansea so far ahead?

The data suggests that seaside towns have been the biggest beneficiaries of the recent good weather, driving people back to the high street.

Bournemouth, Blackpool, Southend, Brighton, Swansea, Plymouth and Exeter all featured in the top ten of highest footfall increases.

South Wales Argus:

Centre for Cities’ chief executive, Andrew Carter said: “Good weather and the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme have helped increase the number of visitors to city and town centres.

"But a question mark remains over whether the footfall increase that we have seen this summer can be sustained into the autumn without the good weather and UK Government incentive – particularly with so many people still working from home.

“Shops, restaurants and pubs face an uncertain future while office workers remain at home.

"So, in the absence of a big increase in people returning to the office, the UK Government must set out how it will support the people working in city centre retail and hospitality who could well find themselves out of a job by Christmas.”