Alcohol Concern's Dry January campaign has been a "great success" says the charity, as it reports that 80 per cent of participants will drink less as a result.

The month-long campaign which asked participants to pledge not to drink for a month, and tweet their experiences, saw 4,282 people take part. Throughout the 31-day alcohol amnesty the charity posted 'Dry Tipsters', such as telling people to replace a pint with a cuppa, to encourage those signed up on their journey.

Of 885 participants surveyed after the event, 85 per cent managed to whole month without drinking alcohol, more than 80 per cent said they would reduce their alcohol intake in the next year, and 55 per cent said the initiative had helped them save money.

Emily Robinson, director of campaigns at Alcohol Concern said: "Dry January is all about getting people talking and thinking about their drinking and from the conversations we’re seeing in the press, on social media and hearing in the street, it’s obvious we’ve done just that.  

"...for most it seems Dry January is going to have a longer lasting effect with more than 80 per cent of them telling us they plan to cut down on booze for the rest of the year. That’s a great result and we’ll be encouraging moderation and taking a couple of days off alcohol a week throughout the rest of the year."

A spokeswoman for the charity added that it is still evaluating this year's campaign and developing ways to make it more successful next year.