Scenes of violence and chaos broke out across the UK as millions of customers flooded shops and supermarkets to try and get their hands on cut-price goods during the Black Friday sales.
Police were called to dozens of supermarkets as the midnight sales descended into chaos, with shoppers resorting to wrestling one another on the shop floor as they competed over discounted items.
One Tesco store in Manchester had to be closed just 36 minutes after opening due to fighting, while another customer was arrested on suspicion of assault in the Salford branch after allegedly telling a staff member that he would 'smash their face in'.
The chaos even led to one woman being injured by a falling TV, while there were reports of a fight breaking out when a teenage girl starting throwing advent calendars around the store.
A senior police officer has now hit out at supermarkets for failing to have adequate security in the run-up to the Black Friday sales.
Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Peter Fahy said the mayhem which broke out overnight were 'totally predictable' but that stores did not have enough staff on duty in the run-up to the manic sales.
He said: 'The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty.
'This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers. It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.
In shocking scenes, a woman desperately clung to a TV after a brawl broke out at the Asda store in Wembley over the cut-price item
The woman competed with other shoppers to try and get her hands on the last Polaroid TV in the store, which had just £80 knocked off the original price
A staff member was forced to intervene as the customer fell to her knees in a desperate attempt to claim the TV, which was reduced from £219 to £139
The shoppers were seen pushing and fighting one another on the shop floor as they tried to get their hands on the reduced item
Crowds surged through the store as they battled to purchase one of the Polaroid 40inch HD TVs which is now out of stock across Asda stores
Men clamber over one another as determined shoppers push their way to through Asda in north London. Despite disruption across stores throughout the capital, Metropolitan Police made no arrests in relation to Black Friday sales overnight
Crushed: A woman is pushed to the ground as another screams while shoppers clamber over each other at Asda in Wembley, north London
In Tesco stores up and down the country, desperate shoppers were seen scrapping as they tried to get what appeared to be one of Tesco's best-selling market items - a Blaupunkt HD TV, which had just £60 off the original price.
At an Asda store in Wembley, shocking pictures emerged this morning showing a woman clinging to a Polaroid TV which had been reduced by just £80 to £139, as a shop worker attempted to prise her from the box.
Danial Jabbar, 15, and his older cousin turned up at 6.30am and saw a woman in her twenties involved in the 'tug of war' with two teenage boys who also wanted to buy the same discounted TV set. Eventually the manager had to pull the teenagers off the set.
Danial said: 'It was really shocking seeing how seriously some people took it. We saw a proper fight break out with shouting and stuff.'
He added: 'We already knew where the TVs were, we'd checked before so we knew where we were going. When we got into the store at about eight we sprinted to the bit where they have the tvs.
'There were about 20-25 boxes and loads of people were jostling round trying to get them. Then as we each took one, a fight broke out. I had to stand back and someone called the security.
He added: 'I could hear someone shouting "You're only allowed one per person, only one per person". In the end the manager arrived and had to drag the boys away. They were being really aggressive.'
It was just one example of the scenes of chaos breaking out in Asda stores across the country.
Greater Manchester Police were called to seven stores overnight, including the Tesco Extra store in Stretford which had to be closed because of the level of fighting.
The force said two people were arrested at Black Friday sales events, before writing on its Twitter page: 'Keep calm people.'
Sir Peter added: 'Across Greater Manchester large supermarkets already make significant demands on policing through calls to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts of fuel from their petrol stations - much of which is preventable.
'We just ask these stores to work with us to reduce the demands on policing and reduce the risks of disorder and crime.
Another 42-year-old man was arrested over an alleged assault at the store in Tesco, Burnage, while two men were kicked out of a store in Central Park, Wigan.
Hundreds of people also refused to leave the store on Barton Road, Middleton, despite staff telling them repeatedly that all stock had been sold. At the store in Stockport Road, Hattersley, another man was arrested for a public order offence.
Shaun Thompson, 21, described how 'all hell broke lose' at the Stretford store. He said: 'Tesco had got a queueing system in place at about 11pm but that fell down pretty quickly.
'It was getting more heated by the minute and the next thing, at about ten to midnight, voices got raised. The shouting went through the roof, then all hell broke loose. They were ripping the plastic off the palettes and people started fighting.
'One girl, who can't have been more than 16, picked up some advent calendars and flung them across the shop. I saw a member of staff leaving with a black eye. It was something I would never like to experience again.'
Scotland Yard confirmed officers had been called to at least four stores in London, including in Willesden, Surrey Quays, Edmonton and Edgware, following frantic reports of crowd surges and scuffles.
Shoppers pile the discounted Polaroid television, reduced from £219 to £139, into trolleys at Asda in Plymouth, Devon. The 40in TV was being sold for £250 among other bargains
Hundreds of people queued outside the Plymouth superstore this morning as retailers predict one of the busiest shopping days of the year
A man with an X-box 360 and one of the popular Polaroid televisions packs his purchases into his car this morning in Plymouth, Devon
Among the most popular purchases were television and games consoles, with hundreds of pounds knocked off electrical goods for one day
A shopper looks elated with her purchases in the Asda superstore in Plymouth, Devon this morning where hundreds waited outside
Yet another shopper leaves Asda, happy to have got his hands on one of the coveted Polaroid televisions for £139. Women carrying bagfuls of bargains followed as a security guard waved off shoppers at the store in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, this morning
A woman carts around a television and a bike in the Plymouth Asda superstore as schoolchildren and staff navigate their way through crowds
While no official figures have been released by Asda, hundreds of shoppers have been seen multiple Polaroid HD television into their cars and trolleys this morning. The television was reduced by £80 to £139
Hundreds of people swarmed the store in Cardiff to take advantage of cut prices, queuing from 6pm until midnight to be first through the doors
A GMP spokesman said: 'The Tesco Extra in Stretford was closed after fights broke out between shoppers trying to get their hands on sale stock.
'A woman suffered minor injuries after being hit by a falling television and an ambulance was called. The store was closed at 12.36am, just overhalf an hour after the sales event started.'
A GMP spokesman added: 'Shortly after 1.05am on Friday 28th November, police were called to Tesco on Woodrow Way, Salford (Irlam). One man was arrested on suspicion of assault after his conduct in store was challenged by staff.
'He threatened to "smash" a staff member's face in. At 12.40am on Thursday, officers were called to Tesco Extra on Barton Road, Middleton, following reports that around 200 people would not leave, despite being told stock had all gone. Doors had been locked but they refused to leave. No arrests were made.
'Shortly after 12.05am on Friday, police called to Tesco Extra on Stockport Road, Hattersley, following reports of fighting in store. Approximately 300 people were present in store and staff were advised to close. One man was arrested for a public order offence.'
Crowds of 500 people gathered at Tescos in Walkden and Failsworth, prompting staff to call police to the scene.
Diane Wilks tweeted: 'Tesco walkden was the same. Security was a joke, only saw two. They were grabbing TVs and running out the store.'
The Black Friday phenomenon has spread to the UK in recent years after becoming a big hit in the U.S., where traditionally big sales occur on the first Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Today is expected to be the UK's biggest day of spending this year, with the majority of stores – both online and in the high street – heavily discounting an array of goods.
Major fashion chains such as Topshop, Urban Outfitters, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser and Debenhams are promising deals of between 50 and 70 per cent off, while supermarket giants including Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's will battle it out with cut-price technological goods, toys and home furnishings.
There were scenes of chaos in several supermarkets up and down the country in the early hours of this morning, after shoppers queued outside for several hours before descending on the stores when they opened just after midnight.
Several large Tesco stores across Britain opened at one minute past midnight to catch early bird shoppers, while Sainsbury's started its sale at 1am in its 24-hour stores.
In one Tesco store in Glasgow, shoppers could be seen physically pushing each other out of the way and shouting at one another as they frantically tried to get their hands on slashed-price technology goods.
There were reports that the Tesco Extra store was forced to temporarily close due to the chaos.
The Tesco Extra store in Kingsway West, Dundee, was all temporarily closed due to the number of people who decended on the store.
Craig Lin wrote on Twitter: 'If your (sic) going to Tesco Silverburn, don't bother. Police have shut it down due to fighting over sales.'
And Sarah Coubrough wrote on Twitter: "Silverburn shut cos shoppers going mental with the sales. Think I'll stick to the online shopping today."
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