SHOPPING centre chiefs were left puzzled last night after a survey on booming retail areas appeared to have left them out.

Bosses at the MetroCentre, in Gateshead, look to have been omitted from a survey by researchers Experian Retail Ranking, listing Britain's top 20 booming shopping areas.

The survey gives centres a "vitality rating" measured by the benefits and disadvantages for shoppers.

London's West End topped the list, closely followed by centres in Glasgow and Nottingham. Newcastle was 19th.

But the MetroCentre, one of Europe's largest indoor shopping malls, does not appear.

The centre is consistently revealed as one of the North's biggest earners, attracting millions of visitors each year.

MetroCentre marketing manager Jane Holmes said: "As far as we can see we are not on the list, but it is difficult to comment until we see how the survey has been analysed and scored.

"As far as we are concerned, we had a good 2000, a good winter sales period and there are a lot of developments planned for the coming year.

"The store is being extended in an £85m development, which will add 27 new units and a brand new Debenhams.

"We read these reports, but it's hard for us to give any reaction as we don't know how it was compiled.

"It may even be that we have been grouped as part of Newcastle."