Huge queues were reported outside branches of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Asda, with some shoppers even left in tears over long waiting times and dwindling stock.

Others took to social media to described their dismay at visiting a store for 6am, only to find everyone else had also had the same idea.

Shopper Andrew said of his morning: ‘Reports from the front line at Tesco at 06.39: It’s already very busy.

‘There are no big shopping trolleys left. Half of the shop is in darkness (I presume to avoid startling the nocturnal shoppers).’

Another customer, who visited his local supermarket just after 9am, wrote: ‘Christmas shops in Sainsbury’s are a war of a different breed.’

While mum Polly Nash stated that she had been unable to get into Aldi as the queues to get inside were ‘huge’.

She continued: ‘Ended up in Tesco. Never doing Christmas food shop on the 23rd ever again! All home by 9am though.’

Shopper Mitchell Smith also joked online: ‘You know what makes me weak at the knees? A queue to get in and out of Tesco at 8am.’

Today’s mad dash to the supermarkets follows an already hectic weekend of spending across the UK.

Yesterday, one parent revealed how she’d seen two children be threatened with calls to Santa in Tesco and had lost her own father in the aisles twice.

Another woman described seeing male shoppers ‘looking lost and on the verge of tears’ as they struggled through hoards of people.

Customer Karen Trelling said of Asda Kingswood, in Hull: ‘It’s heaving in there and I had to queue down one of the food aisles to get to the till, even though I got here at 10am.

‘It’s nearly Christmas and people will be wanting to get their veg so it’s fresh and pick up any last minute bits, so it’s expected really isn’t it. You just have to grin and bear it.]

‘I might have to send my husband next year though and I’ll put my feet up with a mince pie.’

Meanwhile, those heading to the high street during ‘Stampede Sunday’ were estimated to have spent a record-breaking £1,200,000,000 on last-minute gifts.

Around 9,000,000 shoppers visited major centres across the country, where they spent approximately £3,300,000 per minute over a six hour period.

It was the biggest ever amount to be spent on the last Sunday before Christmas to date.