SUSSEX people are ignoring reports of economic gloom by spending more money than ever before.

A new report out today says residents have more cars and spend more on leisure and luxuries than the rest of the country.

The Family Spending Report shows households in the county spend more than £390 a week, compared to the national average of £329.

It reveals Sussex families own more cars than anywhere else in the country, with 37 per cent of households owning two or more. It compares to 16 per cent in the north-east.

The report, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, also found Sussex people purchase more books than any other part of Britain and spend an average of £69 on socialising a week, £14 more than the UK average of £55.

The Office for National Statistics quizzed more than 6,400 people in the annual survey which shows how households spend their money.

The findings were welcomed by Brighton and Hove Council.

Aspokesman said: "These figures come as no surprise to us. We are riding the wave of a leisure boom and there are exciting plans in this area to prove that, with developments like new restaurants along the seafront and a leisure complex at the King Alfred."

And Alan Brooks, of Sussex Enterprise, said: "This backs up all the surveys we have done. We have got a strong service sector which has been least affected by the downturn in the economy.

"The spending figures reflect the confidence that people here have. Sixty per cent of businesses still expect to grow in the next twelve months."

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