Bargain hunters queued from 2.30am today to get their hands on early Boxing Day bargains.

More than 100,000 shoppers are expected to throng the aisles of Bluewater in Greenhithe as the stores re-open with post-Christmas sales.

But, despite a generally slow build-up to Christmas nationally, Bluewater was counting on healthy sales.

James Waugh, Bluewater retail manager, said: "We expect visitor numbers to be ahead of Boxing Day last year, as it falls on a weekday and we are open until 9pm.

"The key driver of visits is the sales, and a number of retailers were open from 5.30am. The first queues formed at 2.30am and peaked at over 700 people.

"Traditionally, the majority of guests on Boxing Day are families, who visit to treat themselves and make a day of it.

"By 10.00am, our car parks were busy with guests arriving to have breakfast before starting their sale shopping."

He said the post-Christmas week was traditionally the busiest of all, with more than 950,000 visitors expected.

Elsewhere in Kent, stores were opening longer hours, and slashing prices at anything up to 70%.