Barrhead Travel has announced record sales as many people seek to leave the woeful winter weather behind.

Bosses at the travel agent say that Saturday, January 13, was the company’s highest ever day of sales.

This success marked a 28 per cent rise on the same day in 2017.

The company also announced that online bookings are on the up.

And the number of customers keen to set sail has also risen sharply, with cruise bookings up by 11 per cent on 2017.

The boost for Barrhead Travel comes in the same week that the travel chain opened its first store in Northern Ireland.

Ten jobs have been created at the new Belfast store, with the company employing more than 1,000 staff across the UK.

Sharon Munro, chief executive of Barrhead Travel, said: “Belfast is a brilliant city and we saw its potential as a great location to expand our award-winning travel services.”

Barrhead Travel, which was founded by Bill Munro in 1975, recently expanded into England, with branches opening in Newcastle and Leicester.

The company also has plans to open six more stores south of the border.