STORES across the region have reported record takings as shoppers turned out in droves for the post-Christmas sales.

Susan Young, manager of the Cornmill Centre, in Darlington, said the mall had seen a 12.5 per cent increase in the number of Boxing Day shoppers this year, and the stores were still packed yesterday.

"We had 25 retailers open on Boxing Day and we had a huge increase in footfall, which was excellent,"

she said.

"I think people have been a lot more aware that shops are open on Boxing Day than they have been in the past few years.

"All the talk of the credit crunch doesn't seem to have put shoppers off. Some of our retailers are reporting fantastic sales, which is good news."

Shoppers in the Bishop Auckland area were snapping up bargains yesterday.

Record Boxing Day sales at furniture store Woodbridge were followed by another good day at its Shildon and Tindale Crescent stores.

Sales director Clive Thirkell said: "Our best seller was a leather recliner for £29.99, which brought people in from all over the region. They were going mad for them.

"Boxing Day was four times better than last year and we had a steady stream today."

Traders in York reported a "phenomenal" day as the sales got under way.

Sheree Gower, of Browns Department Store, said: "It has been absolutely phenomenal. We haven't stopped. We will be about ten per cent up on the first day of our sales last year.

"It has been much better than we expected, with all the press about online sales. We were panicking, as our website is not online until next month - but as it has turned out, it has been great."

Sam Swinburne, commercial manager at Marks & Spencer, in Middlesbrough, said: "This is the most manic sale I've ever seen.

It's not normally this busy. And it's going to get even more manic later.

"We opened at 6am for the first time ever and I was genuinely surprised to see a queue outside.

"The queue was twisted right the way round. It was in the hundreds.

"This morning, we had a rail of stock lined up through the middle of the store - now it is all gone."

Shoppers queued outside Next, in the MetroCentre, before 5am yesterday, desperate to grab the best of the bargains.

General manager Barry Turnbull said it had been the centre's busiest day of the year.

"In terms of footfall, we've been very busy all day long.

We're very encouraged by what we've seen," he said. "Eight per cent of stores opened on Boxing Day and it was very busy too.

"There are some very good bargains out there."