TILLS were ringing out across Purbeck over the festive season, despite initial fears of a whiteout on the High Street.

Swanage and Wareham retailers have reported satisfactory sales over Christmas and the New Year.

Brian Barker, president of Swanage’s chamber of trade, said most shops had been “moderately satisfied” with sales.

He said: “When you consider the weather had been so bad and people were so frightened of the snow before Christmas, we have done OK. Saleswise, traders are doing what they expected to do.”

Meanwhile, in Wareham, initial fears of bad weather hampering revenues quickly subsided.

“We’ve had a relatively good Christmas,” said Sainsbury’s Wareham manager Kevin Strowger.

“Our sales have been in line with our forecasts. Where we lost trade on the days the weather was at its worst, we picked up a bit on the subsequent days.”

Swanage and Purbeck Hospitality Association vice chairman Julian Maughan said his members reported good levels of business.

He added: “It doesn’t appear to have been a bad run up to the festive season.

“Now the outlook for UK tourism is fairly good. Regardless of the overall economic situation, people need a break and it is up to all of us in Dorset to ensure we do what we can to entice people down here.”

Mr Barker said it was Swanage’s loyal shoppers that helped salvage the season.

“When we had six inches of snow in town two weeks before Christmas, traders were frightened it would affect them. But the shopkeepers are ready for any situation – that is why they are shopkeepers.

It is the big organisations like railways and airports that cannot cope.

“Swanage is a place that will always do well because we have great little individual shops with loyal clients.”