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People queued outside city centre shops for hours before they were due to open in a bid to make sure they were at the front of the queue for discounts on their favourite products.

With national statistics predicting that people spend an average of £186 each in the post Christmas sales, Leeds seemed to be following suit.

In the Trinity Leeds shopping centre, first thing this morning people could be seen queuing outside the doors of all levels that Next is on with most lines from clothes to Christmas gifts in the sale.

River Island was one of the busiest stores today with queues inside and out.

Although staff declined to say how trade was going today, Anita Khan had travelled from Bradford with her sister to bag a bargain as they do most Boxing days.

She said: “I was here about 8.45am and it was open and I went in straight away, I didn’t have to queue.

“We have shopped mainly at Next. I have bought for my husband and so has she, and kids clothes. We come every year because the Next sale is a really good one.”

As seen in other UK cities, people braved the December temperatures to wait outside cult beauty store Lush too.

The city's shopping centres were buzzing with families making the most of the holiday season.

A trainee manager said: “It has been super, super busy. People are buying the gift sets and the very popular Snow Fairy shower gel.”

There was a security guard on the door of the designer store Flannels letting people in on a one out, one in basis while at River Island, which had 60 per cent discounts, there were queues at the tills more than 40 people deep well into the afternoon.

In Victoria Leeds one family from Cookridge were making the usual Boxing Day trip to spend Christmas money.

They said: “The girls get money for Christmas and it is burning a hole. This is like a second Christmas shopping.”

Shoppers in Leeds waiting to get in to the Marks & Spencer department store on Briggate.

Nationally, Britons were expected to spend £200m less in the post-Christmas sales this year as environmental concerns drive down buying.

Some four in 10 UK adults were set to make the most of sales from Boxing Day, spending an average of £186 each and a total of £3.7bn, according to Barclaycard.

However, due to concerns about the environment, 62 per cent intend to make fewer purchases, rising to 68 per cent of women.

Shoppers out in force in Leeds to bag a Boxing day bargain