THOUSANDS of last-minute Christmas shoppers hit Southampton over the weekend.

People from across the country flocked to Westquay to buy their Christmas gifts during what was described as Super Saturday.

This comes after civic chiefs said more than a million people hit the streets of the city over the Christmas period.

On Saturday and Sunday shoppers had also the opportunity to bag a bargain as Southampton retailers tried to attract last-minute shoppers.

Businessman Matt Hepple, 48, travelled from Christchurch to finish his Christmas shopping at Westquay on Saturday.

He said: “I found everything that I needed. From November onwards I have been here three or four times.

"This time was just to buy the last few bits. Sales were on too and it was very good. I bought a new mobile phone for my daughter and the sales saved me lots of money.”

But he said the shopping centre was not as busy as he was expecting it to be.

“What I found is that a lot of people are buying over a period. People are buying since August. It’s more organised and it’s better for the shops,”he said.

Many residents also decided to go Christmas shopping later in the afternoon on Saturday in a bid to find shops less busy than usual.

Denise Lowe and her daughter Beth, both from Chandler’s Ford, said they started shopping at about 5.30pm.

Denise said: “We decided purposely to come later so it was not going to be too busy. We have almost done everything. I bought the main things and then realised I needed a few little things.”

Recent figures showed that 90% of British people bought at least one item online this year.

But many residents said they still preferred to buy their Christmas gifts from the shops.

Kaye Bell, 50, a specialist nurse, from Wellow, said:

“I do online as well but sometimes I just need to see things and feel the fabric.”

Cllr Satvir Kaur, cabinet member for homes and culture, said more than a million people visited Southampton over the Christmas period.

She added: “It’s brilliant that we are attracting people from all over so they spend money into the local economy. This is why we work so closely with the businesses to ensure we have a good Christmas offer. “