J D Wetherspoon has forecast record full-year sales, after a successful third quarter.

The value pub group, which has pubs in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury, saw like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to April 30 up 9.1% on pre-pandemic levels, as reported by The Daily Mail.

Like-for-like sales increased by 12.2% in the third quarter compared to 2022 and by 12.7% for the year to date.

Sales during Easter week were the highest ever seen by the group and sales for the year to date were 6.4% higher than 2019.

The company said the May bank holiday, was "exceptionally strong, including our busiest-ever Saturday," while the Coronation weekend had a lightly "noticeably quiet Saturday."

Wetherspoon's said inflation in labour, energy and food prices remains a challenge, but it expects profits for the year to be at the top end of market expectations.