Fine weather encouraged consumers in the East of England to make the most of their increased spending power during April, according to figures from Barclaycard.

Spending by consumers in the region was up 3.9% compared with the same month a year earlier, although this was short of the national average of 4.5%.

Barclaycard says that the UK-wide figure, assisted by the sunniest April weather on record, represents the biggest increase in real terms (adjusted for inflation) since it began its regular monthly analysis of spending in October 2011.

Rob Harris, managing drector for community banking at Barclays in the eastern region, said: “Great weather, favourable economic conditions and the Easter holidays have culminated in a bumper month for consumer spending in April.

“Since Easter also fell in April last year, this is not a distorted picture and indicates a growing confidence sustained from the first quarter of this year.

“Low inflationary pressure is helping consumers to loosen the purse strings on non-essential spending in particular, with many taking the opportunity to make the most of an unseasonably fine British springtime.“