SHOPPERS queued round the block to start their Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

Amajor discount sale at Asda had 200 shoppers queuing from 5am in the Eastgate Centre to get their hands on bargains including a BMX bike for £36 and a tablet computer for £49.

Nearly 40 pallets of items were unwrapped at 8am so shoppers could take what they could to the tills. Half an hour later only a few packs were left.

Manager Greg Rawlins said: “I have never seen anything like it – it was extremely busy.”

Meanwhile there were queues outside Game in the Eastgate Centre from about 8pm on Thursday, with people eager to get their hands on a PS4 which went on sale at midnight. The shop only had stock to meet pre-order sales.

Dennis Baldry, manager of the Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend town centre, which houses both Argos and women’s fashion store Peacocks, who launched special promotions on the day, said: “It was a very busy day, there was a really big queue of people for Peacocks and trade in the whole centre has been really busy in general.”