Guardian News and Media/London
Police were called to a 99p shop in Wrexham after crowds flocked to its half-price sale.
Shoppers descended on the 99p Stores outlet in the north Wales town in their hundreds after signs were posted offering everything for 50p.
Within hours some shelves were stripped bare but the police were called after the sale was suddenly halted, leaving some shoppers furious that they had missed out on bargains.
Four officers were sent to control the crowd. One shopper described the situation as “bedlam” and said fellow shoppers were acting like “vultures”.
The unseemly scenes began on Monday when word of the sale spread quickly around the town.
Shoppers left laden with bags stuffed with cleaning products, toilet rolls, crisps and drinks. But the atmosphere turned sour when the sale was halted.
One customer told wrexham.com: “The sign did not say anything about a time limit, and we were queuing to pay when we were told things had gone back to 99p. It is not on.”
Shopper Sharon Roberts told News North Wales she spent two hours queueing before the sale was called off.
“People were absolutely furious and that’s why the police were called. Tempers were flaring and people were shouting,” she said. Another shopper, Phil Smith, said: “There were queues of about 40 to 50 people all day. Then the manager came around saying everything is back up to 99p. I am so angry, you can’t do that, not when people are in the queue to pay. The police had to come because the people were not having it and not leaving.”
Residents took to Twitter to comment on the sale. One said: “Only in Wrexham do you get a half price sale in a 99p shop and police presence is necessary! Who are these people that are so desperate?!”
