A SHOPPING centre is reporting rising sales despite the ongoing recession.

Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, in Durham City, said its like-for-like sales figures had risen for the sixth consecutive month.

Centre managers have released its first quarter figures, which show its like-for-like retail sales increased by an average of 4.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2008.

In addition, footfall figures show that the centre is also attracting more shoppers, with the numbers increasing, on average, by 1.2 per cent each month over the same period.

Prince Bishops’ centre manager Richard Toynbee: "The latest Experian Footfall National Index showed a reduction in the number of shoppers across the UK in March, with numbers falling by 1.7 per cent but the North East was one of a few regions which showed a slight rise.

"What is more, this report warned the country’s High Streets could become ghost towns as more and more shoppers head out-of-town; but as our latest figures show this is clearly not the case."

Last month, fashion retailer New Look relocated to a new 17,000 sq ft ‘super’ unit within the centre, bringing 40 new jobs to Durham.