OPTIMISTIC Bolton traders say doom-merchants predicting the worst Christmas High Street spending for 20 years have got it all wrong.

Lynn Turner, of ladies lingerie outlet Silk, claims her tills are ringing and adds other independent traders are saying the same.

She said: "These so-called industry experts should come down to my shop.

"I'll show them that people are buying and they are buying quality goods."

Shoppers had adopted a devil-may-care attitude to spending in the face of a recession, said Mrs Turner, who has run her Chorley Old Road boutique for 16 years.

The trader said: "I call it the "blow-it" factor, where people are willing to say it doesn't matter, they are still willing to spend for Christmas.

"I'm optimistic about Christmas spending.

"All the other shop keepers I have spoken to say the same, they are not experiencing any problems."

She said Christmas shopping habits had changed for good following longer shop-opening hours allowing people to leaving their present buying till later.

And she warned: "We're in danger of talking ourselves down and making this a bad Christmas but I really don't believe it will happen."

Her claims have been backed by Crompton Place Shopping Centre manager Kevin O'Gorman, who said the Christmas lights switch-on had kick-started Christmas spending in the town centre.

He said: "Our traders were hit in October when the Trafford Centre opened but even that only really took the shine off sales rather than caused any great harm.

"We have had a November the same as last year. The start of December has been very encouraging. The less expensive shops are doing very well. It's just a matter of consumer confidence holding out."

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