THE tills were ringing at Castlepoint on Monday as shoppers were tempted to indulge in final festive spending sprees at the sales.

Stores at the shopping centre opened up early including Next at 5am and Marks and Spencer at 8am with the top level car park full by 9am and queues for the tills already winding around the stores.

With VAT being increased to 20 per cent on January 4, it is thought that many people are predicting the economy will fare badly in 2011.

But for many shoppers at Castlepoint, those fears were put aside with many using the sales as a last chance to splash some cash before the reality of the spending cuts and VAT rise took hold.

The approach to the sales in Bournemouth town centre was a more sedate affair with a steady stream of shoppers scouring the shelves for bargains.

Most believed the large M&S and Next stores at Castlepoint lured shoppers away from the centre of town.