THOUSANDS of shoppers have hit Southampton this morning looking for a bargain as Black Friday fever grips the nation.

Queues are expected to form outside WestQuay Shopping Centre from as early as 7am as retailers offer discounts of up to 60 per cent.

Originally an American craze, Black Friday has swept across the UK and Europe in recent years, and this year's sales extravaganza is predicted to be the biggest yet.

Analysts Verdict have predicted that 47 per cent of the UK's shoppers will pick up a bargain tomorrow while Visa Europe has forecast that the country's shoppers will spend £360,000 a minute on their cards.

WestQuay will open its doors at the normal time of 9am but will be open an hour later, until 9pm. However flagship store John Lewis will open at 8am and has drafted in extra staff to cope with demand.

Forty five retailers will be offering plunging discounts, with shoppers able to get as much as 50 per cent off goods from high street names at the centre.

Post lady, 28-year-old Amy Halliday was outside of John Lewis from 7.30am hoping to find some sale items for her new house in Woolston.

She said: "I think you have to know what you're coming for, I went to Tescos last night and it was mad lots of people were very vicious.

"This is the first place in visiting because it's open so early and I'll see what happens from there, it's good that shops are getting on board with the sales but I think everyone should stay calm about it."

Sophie Halliday, 24 added: "I'm looking at the prices of sewing machines, I think you have to be prepared."

Former mayor Mary White was also outside of John Lewis with a shopping list at the ready, she said: "I would never go so far as to start a fight for a bargain, I know what I need so I'll get in and get that and it's over, I'm surprised at the amount of people here today.

"The thing is so many people want so much stuff these days and these kind of sales make that so easy it's interesting to see what people actually want."

There was a large queue outside Asda's store in Chandler's Ford this morning.

Meanwhile police were called to a number of supermarkets overnight amid fears of crowd surges as stores opened their doors to hundreds of customers.

Officers attended shops after staff, and some members of the public, raised concerns over the volume of people attending the Black Friday sales.

A number of shops opened at midnight, boasting massive discounts on a range of goods.

Police were called to four supermarkets in London as people gathered at Tesco stores in Edmonton, Willesden and Surrey Quays and an Asda in Capital Way, Edgeware.

Elsewhere shoppers described scenes of ''carnage'' as people scrambled for the best deals.

One person who bagged a coffee machine at a knock-down price tweeted: ''After the absolute carnage that is black Friday in a tesco extra in the North of England, I walked away with a £100 coffee machine for £30.''

Greater Manchester Police said at least two people have been arrested at Black Friday sales events already this morning.

The force said on its Twitter feed: ''Keep calm people!''

Those trying to take advantage of discounts online also ran into problems, with shoppers forced to wait to access the websites of Tesco Direct, Currys and Argos.

Shortly before midnight they were called to Tesco Central Park in Wigan after reports of several hundred people trying to enter the store. Two men were ejected before control was regained.

The Tesco at Ellesmere Shopping Centre in Walkden was closed after a crowd of more than 500 people attended.

The Tesco Extra in Stretford was closed after fights broke out between shoppers trying to get their hands on sale stock.

A man was arrested for a public order offence after reports of fighting after around 300 people descended on the Tesco Extra on Stockport Road, Hattersley.

Let us know if you are hitting the stores to grab a bargain.  E-mail your pictures to picdesk@dailyecho.co.uk or tweet them to @dailyecho.