Shoppers hit the stores on Panic Saturday

Shoppers flocked high streets and shops around Britain in the last Saturday before Christmas, as retailers estimated £1.2bn were spent on the day.

The day, dubbed "Panic Saturday", saw stores across the country forced to hire extra security after a number of customers were reported to have been injured at the end of last month, when shoppers sought to grab a bargain on "Black Friday".

With Christmas only four days away and delays in online orders, customers are expected to opt for a more traditional way of shopping, in high streets stores and shopping centres.

Retailers believe the week before Christmas could see shopping increase 7% on the corresponding period last year.

“Black Friday kickstarted Christmas on the high street and online this year, but the busiest bricks-and-mortar day will likely remain in its traditional slot close to Christmas," said Kevin Jenkins, Visa Europe’s UK and Ireland managing director.

“Retailers’ multi-channel approach should cause a surge in footfall from click-and-collect sales too, with the opportunity for further shopping in-store when consumers arrive.”

According to Visa Europe's estimates, Tuesday is set to be the busiest shopping day of the Christmas season, with shoppers expected to spend £1.3bn, equalling £15,278 every second, as the credit card provider expects 34m transactions, with the peak coming in the lunch-hour break between 1pm and 2pm.