POLICE were called to Tesco Extra in the early hours to help control crowds during the hectic ‘Black Friday’ rush.

Although the store on Winwick Road did not close, one side of the atrium entrance was corned off temporarily to assist the crowds.

With prices on many household items slashed, crowds from across the town surged to get their hands on the bargains on offer at the store which operates from 6pm to midnight.

“In the interest of customer safety colleagues at our Warrington Extra store contacted police last night to help control crowds safely,” said a Tesco spokesperson.

“We are extremely grateful to the police for their support and the store is now trading normally.”

Black Friday – originating from America – has fast become a key date in the diary of shoppers in the country over recent years.