After the plummeting temperatures and plunging sales of December, Britain’s retailers rallied to post excellent trading figures last month.

New figures show that sales rose sharply in January, while the British Retail Consortium is expected to report positive underlying sales growth for the mid-market shopping sector.

Drastic price reductions, combined with a general desire to make up for lost shopping time during December, are thought to have caused the upsurge in business.

Some experts had predicted the New Year would herald dark times for high street firms, however the latest figures suggest this has not been the case.

Don Williams, BDO's national head of retail and wholesale at national accountancy firm BDO, said: "The gloom can be over-played. It has not been a bloodbath on the high street."