Hundreds of early risers queued for Next's Boxing Day sale in Milton Keynes

They recorded half a million shoppers visiting the centre:mk in just four days before Christmas, between Friday December 20 and Monday December 23

And they say the number of visitors consistently exceeded national benchmarks for shopping centres over the festive season.

But the deluge did not stop after Christmas Day. Hundreds of people chose to get up at the crack of dawn on Boxing Day to queue up in the dark for the traditional Next sale.

This photo was taken before the sun rose and shows the queue snaking round the side of the building.

The popularity comes despite a national petition launched by Next employees to urge the company not to open on Boxing Day so they could spend more time with their families.

Kim Priest, head of marketing at centre:mk said: "Hundreds of shoppers were already queuing for the Next Sale from the early hours of the morning. The fact that centre:mk continues to out-perform against the benchmark reflects the centre's regional appeal and strength of offer."

"Undoubtedly the High Street is under pressure but key destinations like centre:mk are still delivering a strong performance."