West Country Christmas shopping

With Christmas looming fast, many shops in the South West are reporting sales up on last year. Saturday and Sunday was one of the busiest weekends of the year for Drake Circus in Plymouth - but the shopping centre is expecting today and tomorrow to be even busier.

We are not yet in December, but the Christmas season is well and truly up and running with businesses across the South West attempting to cash in on the season of goodwill.

Although some people get annoyed that Christmas seems to begin earlier and earlier every year, for the local economy it's crucial. In Exeter thirty per cent of the year's trade takes place in the run up to the big day. Our business correspondent Seth Conway reports.

With Christmas less than three weeks away the Royal Mail has had to set up a massive new sorting office in Wiltshire to cope with the weight of millions of extra presents bought over the Internet.

And some of Swindon's traders say they are only staying in business because of online trade.