SUN worshippers may have rushed out to catch some rays over the past few days, but the top temperatures have kept shoppers at bay in the High Street.

City centre workers said Worcester had been unusually empty after temperatures reached a sweltering 91 degrees on Tuesday.

Hot and bothered Debenhams store detective Ian Stewart said shoppers had been out on Tuesday morning, but numbers dwindled as the day wore on.

"It was just too warm for people to come out," he said.

The owner of a Lannie's ice-cream van, Lorraine Burrows, and employees at Bennetts Farm shop in Lower Wick, agreed people were not queuing up to cool down.

Town centre manager Georgia Smith said that although people had not been shopping for as long, it did not mean they were spending less.

"Obviously certain products, like sun creams, sunglasses and clothing, are selling quicker than others," she said.

"But the pharmacies are also getting a lot of trade because the pollen count is so high this year."

Greenpeace fund-raisers, Nial Sawa and Laura Tomkin, who have been recruiting in High Street, said shoppers who had ventured out were in a particularly good mood.

"Quite a few signed up," said Mr Sawa. "But it did become quite torrid out here during the afternoon. Anything to do with global warming?"