IT IS well past Twelfth Night but a shopping centre still has all its Christmas decorations up – because there is no one to take them down.

There are now January sales signs all over The Arndale Centre in Eastbourne, encouraging shoppers to hunt for new year bargains.

But they are less conspicuous than usual thanks to huge Christmas trees, lights and decorations still adorning the area.

The lights on the trees outside are still on too.

The decorations are still in place because the company that was used to put them up has gone into administration.

At least there is no Christmas music playing but shoppers are still taken aback.

Mother-of-two Samantha Hendy, from Seaford, who was in the centre with her family on Saturday afternoon, said: “I couldn’t believe it.

“I went in to get some January bargains and I had a double take.

“It’s like it’s still Christmas in there.

“I wonder how long they will stay up – and I wonder why all the Christmas lights are still on.”

Most people took their decorations down by the end of Twelfth Night, which was last Friday.

Centre manager Bill Plumridge said the Christmas decorations company it used went into administration on December 23.

He said: “This left us to find another company to remove the decorations.

“We, of course, had to fit in with their busy schedule, meaning that they will come down within the next couple of days.

“The lights in the trees outside should by now have been switched off.”

Mr Plumridge said The Arndale would be out of pocket as it is having to find and pay for the new company to take down the decorations.

He said other shopping centres were likely to have found themselves in a similar situation.

The Arndale Centre is due to have a major transformation with a big new extension.

Town centre roadworks started this month in preparation for the start of the £85 million development.

The new 170,000sqft scheme, which includes demolition of buildings west of the centre along Terminus Road, will bring an additional 22 retail units and about 300 extra car parking spaces., seven restaurants and a nine-screen cinema to Eastbourne.