BARGAIN hunters have taken advantage of early Christmas sales to scoop the best shopping deals.

Shops and traders saw sales build steadily through the month of December, climaxing on Christmas Eve after many stores began their sales early.

Around 25 out of 130 stores in Bromley's Glades shopping centre had sales before December 25. This rose to 96 on Boxing Day.

The Glades marketing manager Maria Cooper said: "The days leading up to Christmas were a bit busier than last year, which is probably to do with the number of shops which began their sales earlier.

"We had excellent sales on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day was quite busy, although the day after that the centre was really buzzing.

"Perhaps people needed a bit of time to get over their festive excesses."

Duty manager Pat Beaton, who was at the centre on December 27, said: "We anticipated a busy day and that was what we got.

"Customers were queuing up before stores opened and there are some great bargains to be had.

"Nearly half the centre traded and all are reporting good sales."

The centre also treated more than 12,000 children to a visit to Father Christmas in a snowy grotto.

More than 3,000 presents were collected as part of the centre's charity toy campaign Gifts from the Heart, for distribution to underprivileged children.

Clothing store Gap, in Bromley High Street, also began its sales in the week before Christmas.

Store manager Lara Booth said: "Both the periods before and after Christmas have been a very promising time for us and we have been very busy."

The surge in pre-Christmas trade comes as a marked contrast to the borough's previous year's sales.

Orpington town centre manager Ian Hedges branded Christmas in 2004 as "average", with the majority of shoppers holding out for post-Christmas sales.