Debenhams in the St Nicholas Centre is closed today for the filming of the store’s annual Christmas advert.

The screening features a large Christmas tree, decked with lights and baubles, and a group of around sixty children.

Details of the advert are being closely guarded, but Danielle Cass, a shop assistant at Shoe World, described what she saw in the store yesterday. 

She said: “It looked really pretty. There were two mannequins and a huge Christmas tree. I am really excited to see what it is like.”

The filming will continue until 11pm tonight, before moving into the upper floors of the St Nicholas Centre tomorrow.

Peter Downes, Menswear Manager, is handing out discount vouchers for shoppers unable to get into the store due to filming.

He told the Sutton Guardian: “The set is fabulous, there is a massive Christmas tree, loads of lights, loads of baubles. There are lots of young children, about sixty I think. We honestly do not know what the plot is.

“I think they wanted to have a London store, and the most convenient was Sutton. They could have closed Oxford Street but that would have cost millions and millions of pounds.”

Your Local Guardian:

Santa 'claus'-ed for business