Millions of people have reserved outdoor tables at pubs and restaurants once restrictions are lifted next month, according to research.

Industry website Caterer.com said there had been a huge surge in bookings for the fortnight following 12 April.

In addition, a survey of 2,000 adults found a third thought hospitality venues should be able to reopen indoors earlier than the planned date of 17 May, it added.

Just over half of respondents said such businesses have better cleanliness and COVID-19 safety precautions than other industries and public spaces, such as supermarkets.

Caterer.com spokesman Neil Pattiso said pubs and restaurants had been “unfairly subjected to tighter restrictions than other sectors throughout the pandemic”.

He added: “As we’ve seen over the last year, businesses have gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of customers.

“Many have remodelled to allow for more outdoor space enabling them to remain open within safety guidelines.”

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