Hundreds of bargain hunters descended on a shopping centre before dawn today – only to find the gates locked.

People started arriving at St John’s Retail Park in Wolverhampton from 2.30am ready for the Next sale to start at 5am.

But barriers to the car park remained in place, leading to a pre-dawn traffic jam on the city’s ring road and chaos as desperate shoppers dumped their cars on surrounding streets.

Next staff had to put out an announcement urging customers to return to their cars after traffic wardens descended on the area and started issuing parking tickets.

Dawn Guinn, aged 42, from Pendeford, was in the first car to arrive at 2.30am. The barriers were still locked when she finally entered the store.

“I was really surprised the gates were locked,” she said. “We waited and waited but no one came.”

She and daughter Jordan, aged 14, parked on a street and joined the queue with a hardy dozen shoppers who had come wrapped up against the cold.

She said: “We’re looking for anything and everything, just bargains really. It’s a bit of an adventure.

“We’re ready for the scrum. We don’t have a budget, we’ll spend on whatever we like.”

At the front of the queue was 33-year-old Harprwt Marwahu, a plumber from Wolverhampton Road East, Parkfields, and wife Bupinder, who are expecting their second child in April.

Mr Marwahu said: “We got here at 3.30am. We have come to pick up some baby clothes because my wife is expecting. It is very cold and we are tired but hopefully it will be worth it.”

Crowds descended on Merry Hill today, with PC World the main attraction for many as they fought for one of 10 laptops being sold at just £199.99.

The store said by 9am they had flown off the shelves, leaving dozens of customers disappointed.

Birmingham’s Bullring was today expecting another busy day after 185,000 shoppers flocked there yesterday.

The city centre car parks were full by 11am and flagship store Selfridge’s reported its best ever trading day since opening in 2003.

Shoppers started queuing at 1.15am today for the Next sale, which started at 5am.

A free park and ride bus service shuttling shoppers into Wolverhampton city centre was starting again today for the sales.

Buses were operating every 10 minutes from three Wolverhampton car parks from 10am and the last will leave the city centre at 5pm.

Pick-ups and drop-offs are at the science park off Stafford Road/Showell Road, Dunstall Park and Sutherland Place.

By Nick Pritchard