Bluewater has notched up a record Christmas - giving it the highest annual visitor numbers ever.

A record 28.1 million shoppers passed through the Dartford centre's doors in 2010.

It also marked a record for the highest footfall on a single day. December 27 - or Mega Monday - saw more than 194,000 visitors: the busiest day since it opened in 1999.

Andrew Parkinson, Bluewater's general manager, said: "This Christmas, more than any other in Bluewater's history, has been a tale of two very different halves. Pre-Christmas, the snow created pent-up demand that ultimately drove very high levels of footfall in the final shopping days.

"From Boxing Day onwards, however, the nature of shopping changed.

The pressure to purchase for others was lifted and so guests visited Bluewater en masse to indulge themselves in the sales.

"The type of guest is also quite different as a consequence. A significant number of couples have been visiting Bluewater during the last week, along with families here to spend the day together."

But he said the rise in VAT was not the key motivating factor: "This is largely due to the sales, which mean significant savings on "big ticket" items, such as 3D televisions and personal electronics, that will be most affected by the increase."

He said the record Christmas could be a sign that consumer confidence was returning.