Stores all over Newham opened their doors early on Boxing Day to start their new year sales.

Some shops opened for business as early 6am to lure in bargain hunters.

As Europe’s biggest urban shopping centre, Westfield Stratford was the focus of much attention with more than 500 people in queues outside from 3am.

Once stores opened at 9am it was pandemonium for much of the morning, with Next among the stores that were rammed.Next was offering 50 per cent plus discounts for those brave enough to be there for the 6am opening.

More than 150,000 people visited Westfield Stratford City on Boxing Day.

Some shoppers had even made international trips to the store.

Two students were China queued outside a store to be first for cosmetics.

But it was relatively quiet in some parts of the centre. Even massive discounts weren’t enough to tempt some people out.

A walkout by Tube drivers caused Boxing Day travel misery as strike action crippled London Underground.

Underground drivers belonging to the union Aslef staged a 24-hour strike over the union’s demand for extra pay for its members working on the public holiday.

But shoppers made it anyway. Car parks were full and buses and taxis took most of the strain,

Other parts of Newham, Stratford Centre, East Ham and Beckton Triangle and Gallions Reach all reported good sales business.

Argos, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer were among stores who started their sales online as early as Christmas Eve.

Thousands of others in Newham also went shopping online on Christmas Day .

On Christmas Eve, shoppers in Beckton got a surprise when footballer David Beckham was spotted doing a last minute bit of shopping.

The father-of-four, 36, rushed into a Boots store in Beckton Triangle Retail Park.and was then spotted running back to his car to speed off to another shop.

As he ran out of Boots empty-handed, fellow shoppers couldn’t believe what they were seeing.He was later seen in stores near his Hertfordshire home.