Chaos erupted and fights reportedly broke out at Manchester's Trafford Centre as crowds tried to get their hands on a Swatch limited-edition watch. Police were called to the shopping centre on Saturday morning (May 16) as eager shoppers barged their way in to get hold of the new collection.
Shoppers were said to have been queuing overnight for the 335-pound Royal Pop watches, a collaboration between Swatch and luxury Swiss watch designer Audemars Piguet. When the shopping centre opened its doors at 6am, huge crowds surged the barriers and began pushing and shoving each other. Some were even said to have been throwing chairs.
A large crowd was filmed in the alleged scuffle, with some appearing to be holding chairs. One shopper, who filmed the video and 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 to the lower level and another fight broke out. It got quite brutal."
The shopper said he arrived at 6am and was able to enter the shopping centre through an entrance on the higher level. The video captured crowds on the lower floor outside the Swatch shop, which was due to open its doors at 10am. The shopper added: "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 Greater 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." According to the Swatch UK Instagram page, the firm was forced to close stores around the UK due to safety considerations as large crowds gathered elsewhere.
