“I got down the lower level and another fight broke out. It got quite brutal.”
Police were called to the Trafford Centre on Saturday morning after ‘fights’ broke out when crowds of shoppers were trying to get their hands on a limited-edition watch.
Crowds gathered outside the Swatch store on May 16 to buy the 335 Royal Pop watches – a collaboration between Swatch and Luxury Swiss watch designer Audemars Piguet. Some reportedly queued up overnight.
When the shopping centre opened its doors at 6am huge crowds surged the barriers and began “pushing and shoving” each other – with some “throwing chairs”, it was claimed. Video captures a large crowd of prospective buyers in the alleged scuffle – with some appearing to be holding chairs.
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The shop was forced to close alone with other stores around the UK due to safety concerns. In a statement issued on Saturday, a Trafford Centre spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Swatch AP event at Trafford Centre has been cancelled and that the Swatch store is closed today. We remain in close contact with the brand and will share any updates in due course. “
Similar scenes reported in the Liverpool One shopping centre with the Swatch store on Paradise Street forced to keep its doors shut, the Liverpool Echo reports. Police were called in to surround the front of the queue and help manage the crowds of hundreds of people.
The shopper who filmed the video, who does not wish to be named, told Talk to the Press: “It was complete chaos. People were throwing chairs and people were pushed over.
“I got down the lower level and another fight broke out. It got quite brutal.”
The shopper claimed he arrived 6am and was able to enter the shopping centre through an entrance on the higher level. The video captures the crowds on the lower floor outside of the Swatch shop, which was due to open it’s doors at 10am.
They said: “There were hundreds of people outside the Trafford Centre. They had been queuing overnight. The orderly queuing system broke down in a matter of minutes.
“Swatch had their own security and so did the Trafford, but it wasn’t enough. Eventually the police arrived and kicked everyone out. A security guard told me the shop would be closed the rest of the day.”
A spokesperson for Great Manchester Police said: “We were called shortly before 6am following reports of a disturbance at the Trafford centre. Officers attended and alongside security staff dispersed a large number of people who were inside the centre. No arrests have been made.”
