DOOMED C&A stores across the region have seen a surge in sales since announcing closure plans last week.

Shops from Newcastle in the North down to York in the South, have witnessed a boom in business which many see as a direct result of their announcement that every branch in the UK would close before February 2001.

In Middlesbrough, where the store will close in five weeks, sales were up 82 per cent last Friday on the same period last year, and the increase was 94 per cent on Saturday. In the York branch on Friday sales were up an astonishing 121 per cent.

The story was a similar one at the regions other four stores in Darlington, Sunderland, Newcastle and the Gateshead MetroCentre.

Manager at the Middlesbrough and Darlington stores, David Barker, said: "The closure plans seem to have generated an interest in the store that just wasn't there before.

"They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and this seems to be the case. The thing is there are no sales on, and they are paying for full price merchandise.

"We've had men coming in and buying three or four pairs of trousers, because they say they just can't get their sizes at other stores."

The company announced last week plans to close all its 109 branches in the country with the loss of 4,800 jobs nationwide.

Management said the professionalism of staff, who were told only last Thursday they would all lose their jobs, is one of the reasons for the upsurge.

Chris Williams, head of corporate communications for C&A, said: "The increase in sales across the country has been fantastic.

"People are just beginning to realise what they'll be missing when we close, and that not every high street store caters for fashion in the range of sizes we offer.

"We've had letters and phone calls from customers asking where they can go to get fashionable size 16 clothes when we shut.

"The people who really deserve credit for this are the dedicated team of staff in all our stores.

"Last week they received the devastating news of the closures, but they have remained as professional as ever to ensure that sales are up."

lDepartment store group Debenhams is to create 300 jobs at a new store development in East Kilbride, Scotland