Shoppers scramble to buy christmas presents ahead of fresh lockdown

Shoppers were "packed in like sardines" in Manchester's Trafford Centre before a fresh round of restrictions is imposed by the Government on high-risk areas of northern

England. Visitors to the shopping centre reported chaotic scenes and long queues outside "rammed" stores as shoppers snapped up presents ahead of the new measures which are

expected to be announced by Boris Johnson tomorrow. Horrified shoppers complained about the crowds of people at the Trafford Centre. One wrote: "I'm in the Trafford Centre. Bloody

awful: no social distancing, no organisation, not coming back." Another said: "Really uncomfortable with the number of people in the Trafford Centre." And another shopper

tweeted: "Trafford Centre is rammed, car parks full. "I don't know what the answer is but this doesn't feel quite right." One shopper described the scenes at the

shopping centre as "totally out of control". They said: "No crowd control, track/trace, social distancing or cleaning. Compared to hospitality it felt very unsafe."

Shopping centre staff said it appeared people had flocked to the stores to get their Christmas shopping done now in case of a total lockdown. One shop worker said: "I'm just

appalled. The North West has a high infection rate and mask wearing is at a minimum. "People walking around were packed in like sardines and car parks are at full capacity. "The

footfall is because of the bad weather and it is becoming a hub because people can't meet at home, so they're coming here. It's as busy now as it is at Christmas." READ

MORE: CORONAVIRUS MAP LIVE: SECOND COMPLETE LOCKDOWN BEING CONSIDERED  Shopping centre bosses have warned visitors to wear face masks only go to the shops with people they live with or are

in a support bubble with. A spokeswoman said: “The safety of everyone who visits intu Trafford Centre continues to be our highest priority. “We have a range of measures in place to ensure we

stay safe and adhere to the official guidance, including a rigorous cleaning regime, capacity limits, hand sanitisation points, a one-way system and more staff on the malls to reassure

people and provide guidance. “We’d encourage anyone with questions or concerns to speak to a member of our team. We’ll always do our best to help.” The Prime Minister is expected to detail a

new three-tier system of restrictions with measures expected to force pubs and restaurants to shut across the North of England and see millions of people banned from mixing indoors and

outdoors. Reports suggest the top tier will see no household mixing allowed either, which could affect millions of people living in areas with high COVID-19 rates across England. Greater

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called for more financial support and consultation. He said: "If they continue with this, jobs will be lost, businesses will collapse, the fragile

economies of the North will be shattered."