DRIVERS watched in disbelief after a woman was punched during a row over a car parking space on the first day of the sales in Hull.

One woman punched another in the car park at Tesco in St Stephen's Shopping Centre as carloads of shoppers descended on the city centre for the Boxing Day sales.

Onlooker Paula Horton, 42, of west Hull, said: "I had only gone to get some cheap wrapping paper in the sales, but it was murder in the car park."

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was madness."

Jim Harris, manager of the shopping centre, said Humberside Police told staff there was another fight in the car park at 1.45pm.

He said: "We don't administer that car park, but we were notified by Humberside Police about two fights over car parking spaces.

"It is the first time I have known people to get that upset over car parking spaces in Hull, but sometimes emotions do boil over."

Mrs Horton said she was waiting behind a young couple's car that was about to pull into an empty space when a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction approached.

She said: "Everybody could see the first car was going to go in the space, but they came from the other side and tried to push in. Then all hell broke loose.

"The women started arguing and carrying on and the woman from the car that was trying to push in got out.

"She stood in front of the young couple's car and started banging on the bonnet.

"She slammed her hands down and was swearing and shouting, then her husband or partner got her back in the car."

Both cars again tried to get into the same space before the angry woman leapt out of her car once more as shoppers looked on.

Mrs Horton said: "She went towards the other side of the car, where the passenger side window was open, and punched the young girl. She was trying to pull her through the window.

"I couldn't believe it. I got out of the car to tell her to stop, but she just started shouting at me. Eventually, the man she was with had to drag her away.

"There were two big car park attendants there who saw the whole thing and did nothing."

Humberside Police would not confirm if any arrests were made.

Mr Harris said it was the busiest Boxing Day since he joined the centre three years ago, with more than 50,000 visitors.

He said 750 people queued outside Next, which opened at 6am, with the first customer arriving at 3.30am.

"We have 800 spaces in our car park and 3,000 cars came through," said Mr Harris.

"We had to close it three times because it was so busy.

"It was a very busy day, but was mostly very cheerful."