The second week of the Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme gets underway today with early indications suggesting it has enjoyed some early success.

Introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in a bid to drive people back to eating out, the scheme offers customers a 50 per cent discount - up to £10 per person - on food and non-alcoholic drinks on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout August.

Participating businesses are able to claim back the discount from the Government.

No official figures have been released by the Treasury on the opening week of the scheme, but money app Yolt reported a 14 per cent increase in people eating out.

And a report by data provider Springboard showed an increase in visits to high streets after 6pm on the included days of almost 19 per cent on the previous week - a rise which is close to 10 per cent at lunchtime.

Springboard said shopping numbers across all retail destinations were up 3.8 per cent on the previous week.

Insights director Diane Wehrle said: "The jury is still out regarding the benefit of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, although there were rises in footfall on each day between Monday and Wednesday.

"It is clear that it was the post-6pm period that yielded the greatest rise in footfall and also that smaller towns benefited more than large city centres.

"As the scheme continues throughout August and more Brits enjoy staycations across the UK, time will tell if the government scheme provides the boost that retail destinations across the country require."

Springboard said footfall across the UK remained 34 per cent down on last year.