SHOPPERS across Cumbria are being urged to take care ahead of discount bonanza Black Friday.

This Friday, the annual shopping bonanza will see shoppers attempt to bag a bargain ahead of Christmas. 

Bargain hunters in the UK are expected to spend an astonishing £12,000 a second on the day itself, with more than a billion pounds thrown at deals, offers and bargains in everything from electronics to clothes to furniture.

Retailers set to take part in Barrow include Tesco, Marks and Spencer, River Island, Poundstretcher, The Sofa Group, Debenhams, Currys and Boots. 

However, a warning has been issued ahead of the sale. Last year ambulance crews were called out to incidents across the region as people had been assaulted and received various injuries whilst attending the sales. 

Director of Operations at North West Ambulance Service, Derek Cartwright, said: “We all remember the awful and chaotic footage from last year as people were hurt by being pushed over and trampled on as they hurried to get their hands on discounted electronics and goods. Hopefully this year people will be more mindful when attending the sales and understand the consequences of their actions as a fight over a cut price television is not worth a risk to your health, resulting in a call to 999. 

“As large crowds gather at these events we would expect retailers to put in place the necessary security provisions to keep everyone safe so that our ambulance crews aren’t called out to injuries which are easily prevented. By doing this we will then be free to attend to those with a life-threatening or serious condition and are in most need of our help.”