Keen shoppers are reporting traffic delays in their pursuit of post-Christmas bargains at Bluewater this morning.

Drivers have taken to Twitter to express their frustration at the congestion, with vehicles moving extremely slowly on the A2 and the B255 heading into the shopping centre.

Some shoppers say it's taken them an hour to find a parking space, and some drivers are leaving their cars on the grass verges.

Inside the mall, the picture is similar, with bargain hunters complaining the shops are "rammed" and many stores have long queues.

Bluewater say that they are aware of the delays and have a traffic management system in place to help ease congestion once drivers reach the shopping centre.

"We are aware of traffic reports in the surrounding area," said a spokesman.

"Cars are currently moving freely at Bluewater and we have traffic management in place, however delays may occur. Thanks for your patience."

Highways England said drivers moving towards Bluewater on the A2 should expect delays of around 15 minutes, yet reports from the area suggest much longer waits.

A spokesman confirmed the delays were due to the sheer number of vehicles rather than any specific incident.

It is the latest case of traffic hell surrounding Kent's most popular shopping destination this festive season, with some unfortunate shoppers forced to wait hours to simply leave the car park last week.

Bluewater has been operating extended opening hours to cope with the demand of seasonal shoppers, but is only open until 5pm today.