A shopping centre in Manchester was in chaos yesterday as shoppers ‘packed in like sardines’ to get Christmas presents before the impending second local lockdown.

Swathes of customers can be seen queuing in photos posted on social media, with some describing the Trafford Centre as ‘rammed’ and ‘out of control’.

Numerous visitors took to Twitter to complain, with one writing: ‘Trafford Centre is rammed, car parks full. I don’t know what the answer is but this doesn’t feel quite right’.

Another Tweeted: ‘Trafford Centre totally out of control today. No crowd control, track/trace, social distancing or cleaning. Compared to hospitality it felt very unsafe.’

A staff member at the shopping centre said people were flooding stores to get Christmas presents in case the shops closed under another lockdown.

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She told the Manchester Evening News: ‘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.

‘There are gangs of families and 16 to 19-year-old lads and it’s intimidating. Enough is enough. We’re all sanitised and wearing masks and we’re taking all the precautions.

‘It’s as busy now as it is at Christmas. Customers have told us they’re buying now in case there’s a lockdown at Christmas.’

A spokesperson for the Trafford Centre 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.’

The shoppers’ comments came just a week after drivers complained they were stuck in the Trafford Centre’s car park for ‘hours’.

The shopping centre was packed with visitors trying to get home last Saturday afternoon, and many took to social media to express their anger.

One shopper tweeted: ‘wtf is going on we’ve been sat in our car for 90 minutes stuck on car park, sort this out ASAP as people with kids and vulnerable people in cars!!’. Later, the same user added: ‘2 hours 30 minutes sat in car park not moving…’

Manchester’s Costco also saw huge queues this weekend amid fears that another local lockdown is imminent.

The latest NHS figures show that Greater Manchester’s death toll has now reached 2,356, with the Manchester Evening News yesterday reporting that 14 more people had died with coronavirus across the region.

Northern England is facing tighter restrictions that will order people in the country’s worst-hit areas to not mix indoors and outdoors.

Pubs, non-essential shops and salons could also be forced to close in response to a rise in coronavirus cases in the region.

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