The best Christmas present Bradford could have been given (other than a rethink by the Capital of Culture judges) is a shopping boom which has seen sales racing ahead of those of last year and is bound to boost confidence in the city's ability to support a thriving retail sector.

Admittedly last year was exceptionally depressed, with the country suffering badly from the aftermath of the events of September 11. Few people were in a big-spending mood. But this year's reported figures are good by any standards and the manager of one business in the Kirkgate Centre reckons this to have been the best Christmas for nine years.

Shops and store managers have reported brisk demand with shelves being almost stripped bare in some places. The owners of the Kirkgate Centre must be particularly pleased at having their demonstration of faith in Bradford in the shape of a £4 million revamp rewarded with a 26.5 per cent surge in business.

There is surely something in the suggestion that people might have decided to shop in their home city rather than driving to Meadowhall or the White Rose Centre because of the increasing headaches involved in getting around on the region's cluttered roads. As there seems little prospect of these traffic problems easing in the near future, this factor could become increasingly important.

Let us hope now that this improvement in Bradford's retail fortunes is followed through into the New Year sales. A clear demonstration that people are prepared to sustain support for their own city centre is the best possible way of persuading businesses that it would be worth their while to open a branch here.