SPENDING in pubs surged by a third on the day of England's debut match in the 2018 World Cup, figures show.

Consumer spending in pubs jumped by 33% on the day of the first England match compared with the same day a week earlier, as England fans toasted the team's success against Tunisia on June 18.

Boosted by the kick-off of the World Cup, pub expenditure grew by 9.5% overall in June, when compared with June 2017, according to Barclaycard's data.

Spending grew by 5.1% overall year-on-year in June.

Non-essential spending grew 5.5%, its best performance since October 2016 - driven by a particularly strong month for entertainment, Barclaycard said.

Entertainment spending increased by 10% week-on-week in the first seven days of the football.

The hot weather is also encouraging people to open their wallets according to Barclaycard, which surveyed 2,000 people as well as using its own data.

One in three (33%) people say they have spent more than normal so far this summer.

Of these, nearly three in 10 (28%) said this is because they are planning more activities to make the most of the hot weather.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of people now feel confident in their household finances, Barclaycard found - the highest proportion in 12 months.

Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: "As the warm weather continues and World Cup fever sets in, it's clear many households are prioritising fun in the sun while making the most of the summer's best experiences.

"While some lingering caution remains, confidence in household finances is at a 12-month high. This may be good news for retailers, especially as many shoppers are keen to use their spending power to help their local high street."

Meanwhile, separate figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG retail sales monitor showed that in June, UK retail sales increased by 1.1% on a like-for-like basis from June 2017.

On a total basis, sales increased by 2.3% annually in June.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive at BRC, said: "Beer, barbecues and big TVs lifted June's sales as warm weather and World Cup fever gripped the nation."

But she cautioned: "The reality is that sales don't grow on the feel-good factor alone.

"With household incomes still barely growing faster than inflation, conditions for consumers and retailers remain extremely tough."