House of Fraser cheered its best ever Christmas trading, as sales rose 7.3 per cent after a last-minute rush to stores and a record increase in web takings.

The department store chain, which has a branch in Skipton, was among retailers that embarked on a discounting spree as it reduced selected lines by half in the festive season.

But its trading update for the period showed the promotions had failed to dent profit margins, which were up sharply.

House of Fraser said like-for-like sales for the first nine weeks of the fourth quarter were up 4.3 per cent and for the three weeks to December 28 improved by 7.3 per cent to achieve the best-ever Christmas performance.

The bright picture is in marked contrast to the woes of rival Debenhams.