COLD weather failed to put shoppers off coming into Darwen as sales fever gave the town's traders a much-needed boost.

Town centre manager Paul Isherwood said: "The town is certainly busy, people have been coming in.

"I think in Darwen it is the same situation as in Blackburn. People have had a good long holiday and this has brought a lot of people out - everybody likes to take advantage of sales prices."

Ethel Austin, in Market Street, have reported good trade during the sales.

Store spokesman John Trott said: "We have had a very good Christmas and we have been very busy with the sales in our Darwen shop, which gives us a very good start for 2002."

And the Old and New Editions toy shop in Bridge Street also enjoyed a rise in trade during its retirement sale. Owner Denis Jepson said that although trade had been quieter than last Christmas, they had been busy.

But some shops have been disappointed with the response.

Brian Sandham, manager of Argos, on Market Street, said: "At the moment the after-Christmas sales have been very, very quiet but we are hoping things may pick up when the new catalogue comes out later this month."

The owner of the Gift and Garden Centre, on Duckworth Street, Graham Haworth, said trade had been steady but they had not been flooded with customers.

And Janet Crane, of Foxy Lady Fashions, on Blackburn Road, said that although trade had been good over Christmas, they had only been steady with the after-Christmas sales.