Hundreds of shoppers braved the early morning cold on Saturday as they queued to bag a bargain in the sales.

Next in Cabot Circus opened at 5am, and a queue of people snaked around the corner up to Bond Street, patiently waiting for staff to open the doors.

There was a similar story at Marks & Spencer in Broadmead, where shoppers hurried to turn up for the 6am opening.

Jeremy Parrot, manager of Next, said thousands of people had taken advantage of their annual Christmas sale.

He said: "We were very, very busy, and people certainly seemed willing to spend their money. We didn't open on Boxing Day, so on Saturday were open from 5am until 11pm.

"Thousands of people came through the doors – much more than a normal day's trading. By the time we opened there was a big queue of people down the side of the building and going up the alleyway.

"The shoppers rushed through the doors, but nothing was out of hand. It was all very well-controlled and the customer service personnel from Cabot Circus itself were very supportive.

"We always do very well with the Next sales, and with 50 per cent off or more we are expecting plenty more people coming in over the next few days."