THERE are positive signs yesterday that Carlisle's retailers may have been boosted by a profit-boosting Boxing Day as hundreds of shoppers flocked to the city centre in search of bargains.

Even well before 6am, the most determined shoppers were queuing outside the English Street branch of clothes retailer Next to take advantage of its sale, and later in the morning dozens of people lined up to snap up bargains at the cosmetics store Lush across the street.

"The city seems to have had a strong day," said Ian Proudfoot, operations manager at The Lanes Shopping Centre.

"Before 5.30am, there was a queue outside Next; and overall we had about an 80 per cent occupancy rate for our car park by dinnertime."

Sales figures for yesterday will not be available for some time, but footfall in the city centre retail sector was up by more than four per cent in November - partly due to discounted 'Black Friday' shopping events at retailers, bucking the national trend of a slight decline.

Asked why days such as yesterday matter, Mr Proudfoot said: "It's absolutely massive for retailers.

"Sales targets will have been set by by head offices and they need to be met. This is the single biggest trading period and Boxing Day is still the single biggest day, the one that people look out for."

In the city centre from 6am to enjoy the sales was Susan Summers, 68, from Morton West. "I come every year," she said. "I prefer to see and handle what I'm buying rather than just get it online.

"It's definitely worth it.

"I've just bought an £80 for £40. It's a case of spend to save."

Like other shoppers, she said she was keen to support local retailers, mindful that they have suffered from the rise of internet shopping.

In agreement were the Winstanley family from Cockermouth.

"You need to support local shops like this," said Shaun Winstanley, 51. "We do shop online, but there's a social angle to shopping like this; the walking around town together and going for a coffee."

Abbie Winstanley, 17, said of their Boxing Day sales hunt: "It's definitely worth doing. I don't know if its cheaper but I like walking around the shops and seeing the stuff rather than looking at it online.

"It's also more hassle to send thing back when you buy online and don't want to keep something."

Her mum Jacqueline, 53, said she was not a fan of crowds and so would rather wait until they had thinned out.

Among the growing queue outside Lush Cosmetics were Stevie-Marie Wilson, 25, and Beth Filmore, 34. Stevie Marie, who researches what bargains wil be available, said: "There are discounts of 50 per cent and I'm going to buy bathbombs, and body sprays."

They were so keen last year that they waited outside for two hours before the doors opened. They regard the sale as part of Christmas.