THOUSANDS of shoppers packed Southampton this morning to bag bargains in the Boxing Day sales.

Some were queuing from as early as 2.30am to get into shops like Next, which opened at 6am, and get the best deals.

Queue controls that would have been more at home at a major theme park were in place for most of the morning at the West Quay shopping centre store.

Even the rainy weather held off allowing shoppers to bask in sunlight as they spent hundreds of pounds on clothes, furniture, toys and electronics.

Other brands like GAP slashed prices by 75 per cent but most retailers were offering reductions of between 40-50 per cent.

Most of the big names like River Island, Marks and Spencer and Hollister were open but some retail giants, like John Lewis, remained closed.