SHOPPERS paid almost five million visits to one of Kendal's shopping centres during 2000.

Figures released by Westmorland Shopping Centre show that last year customers made 4,827,973 visits to the centre, an increase of 159,000 on 1999.

During December, visits were up by 17 per cent, from 504,750 in 1999, to 592,016.

Other business leaders in the town reported similar good news.

Westmorland Shopping Centre manager Lynn Ison said the visitor figures were reflected in good Christmas results for many of the shops, with the majority having met or exceeded their targets, and reporting increased sales during 2000.

This was at a time when the centre had been hit by national retailing decisions, she said.

Principles is due to close this Saturday as part of a major restructure by national parent company Arcadia, and Salisburys luggage shop shut at the end of December.

This followed a move by parent company, The Baggage Centre Ltd, to appoint administrators after suffering "irrecoverable financial losses".

However, a continental cafe is due to open in the centre on the Market Place frontage by Easter, when a well-known retailer is also expected to start trading in the former Kenneth Gardner unit.

Both outlets have undergone building work to get them ready.

Lynn Ison said: "Obviously the loyalty of our customers is there.

They like the centre, and they have come into the shopping centre for their Christmas shopping despite the fact we have a reduction in choice for them."

She said that for some shops, including Principles and Salisburys, the lease was owned by the shops' parent companies.

The shopping centre management did not, therefore, have the authority to lease the units to new tenants.

Manager of Elephant Yard Peter Boyd said the centre's shops had reported good results for December, and there were tenants interested in the remaining five units.

"What we are doing at the moment is picking and choosing," he said.

Kendal town centre manager Maria Appleton said at the last count there were 36 empty shops in the town, excluding the Westmorland centre, which was fewer than for a long time.

The arrival of Laura Ashley, and the investment Marks and Spencer had put into its store showed there was confidence in the town, she said.