OUTDOOR wear retailer Blacks Leisure said one of the driest spells on record had caused a sharp slump in sales across its stores.

Reporting half-year profits on a day when some parts of the UK were basking in Indian summer temperatures of more than 20C, the owner of the Blacks, Millets and FreeSpirit chains said demand for waterproof clothing and footwear had suffered because of the unseasonal conditions.

Blacks also owns the O'Neill brand, which has a distribution centre in Washington, Wearside, employing more than 100 people.

Like-for-like sales for the six months to August 31 were down 4.8 per cent, with the figure for the past eight weeks 11.8 per cent lower, although this reflected a strong performance last year when the sales figure was up by 15.8 per cent.

Blacks chairman David Bernstein said: "The contrast in the weather between 2005 and 2004 was very marked. Whereas in 2004 we had prolonged periods of wet weather, 2005 has seen one of the longest dry spells on record.

"While this has helped some of the product ranges, it has had a particularly detrimental effect on our key waterproof clothing and footwear offers."

His comments followed a "satisfactory improvement" in first half results, as operating profits for the six months to August 31 lifted 12 per cent to £7.2m.