Staff have been offered a free byte for lunch at American Express.

A cyber cafe has been built alongside the staff restaurant at the card company's main Brighton offices.

Employees have been given free access to the internet from eight terminals in the cafe.

The computers will be available 24 hours a day all year round and there has been no shortage of people logging on.

Ras Kolind, who works in the excellence in leadership department, said: "I've been surfing at lunch times and after work since the cyber cafe opened. It's really useful and a great perk." Ian Holden-Semple, head of business engineering, said: "The internet is an increasingly important part of both business and personal life.

"This cafe ensures that everyone has the same opportunities for understanding and benefiting from the power and scope of the internet."

American Express, the largest private sector employer in Brighton, has more than 3,000 staff based at its Edward Street offices, of whom 90 per cent live locally.