Anyone seeking a Boxing Day bargain may find themselves stuck in traffic jams, as rail strikes force more cars on to the roads on one of the year's busiest shopping days.

There are usually hundreds of trains on 26 December, but Britain's railways will be closed due to a walkout by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.

Airport services such as the Stansted Express, Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express are often very popular on Boxing Day, as people head away or return after Christmas Day - but they will now also have to rely on the roads.

And to add to the congestion, tens of thousands of football fans will be trying to get to the first Premier League games since the season took a break for the World Cup.

The AA said it expects 15.2 million cars on the UK roads on Boxing Day and, for those unwilling or unable to drive themselves, National Express and Megabus have both reported high demand for their services.

Even if you shop online, you could still face difficulties - Royal Mail has no more strikes planned at the moment, but the union's pay dispute is still unresolved, so there is the possibility of more industrial action soon.

Many people will not shop at all today - high inflation, mortgage and rental costs, and crippling energy prices have left many households with little money to spare.

Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper plans to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period - that's £18 less than the same time last year.

Some 42% say they will be looking for personal technology items, with food and drink also expected to be popular.

Harshna Cayley, head of online payments at Barclaycard Payments, said: "The rising cost of living and inflationary pressures have naturally had an impact on the amount being spent in the post-Christmas sales this year.

"Having said that, retailers can take confidence knowing that shoppers still plan to make the most of the deals and discounts on offer."