AN East Lancashire furniture firm is bucking the gloomy high street trend with a bumper rise in sales.

CSL, which has its manufacturing base in Oswaldtwistle and has a store in Blackburn, saw turnover increase by 35 per cent during its sale period between December 26 and January 10.

The performance comes on the back of a 30 per cent increase in sales during 1998.

The firm, which employs 100 people, now has six stores in the North West and is about to open a new outlet in Bolton,

"It was our best-ever sale period," said Jason Tyldesley, sales and marketing director of the family firm.

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