RECENT cold weather has seen sales rise to record levels at a company that makes thermal lingerie.

North Yorkshire-based Bella di Notte has reported record sales of £50,000 in the past week alone.

It usually sells about £40,000-worth of underwear a week.

The Helmsley mail-order company is now predicting turnover to top £2m for this year.

Director Susie Johnson, who set up the company six years ago with the help of the Prince's Trust, said every year she had doubled turnover and this year expected to do even better.

She said: "The cold weather has seen everyone phoning up to order thermals.

"I think because most of the shops are now stocking lighter clothes for the spring, rather than woolly jumpers, women are having to wear thermals to keep warm during the chill over the last couple of weeks."

Ms Johnson employs 14 people at her shop and head office in Helmsley, and designs the underwear herself, before having it manufactured in Italy.

The most popular item in the last week has been a vintage lacy camisole with matching trouser briefs, which are designed so that women can avoid a visible pant-line through their trousers.

Ms Johnson, who worked for a clothing designer and then as a buyer at Black & Decker, in Spennymoor, County Durham, before leaving to start her own business, said: "A lot of women don't want to wear thongs, especially in the cold weather, so we designed these so they could wear trousers without the pant line showing."

She said Italian suppliers had been working over the weekend to enable the business to replace stock.