IN years gone by eager crowds would queue in Cornmarket Street for the January sales, but just one street cleaner was about early yesterday.

With UK sales now starting on Boxing Day, Oxford City Council street scene operative Jeremy Gilbert cut a lonely figure in the city street at 7am.

He worked from 6am to 2pm and said: “I started right in the town centre.

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“We get there right before the crowds arrive, then we scoot.”

Asked about litter from New Year celebrations, he said: “It was not too bad to be honest, I have seen it worse on an average Sunday morning.”

There was also no repeat of the heavy morning traffic into Bicester Village retail outlet on Boxing Day.

The A41 towards Bicester Village was still clear at 11.15am and the outlet had plenty of parking spaces.

People who live nearby have said new measures like traffic marshalls, electronic information signs and temporary parking bans in nearby residential streets had had an impact.

Demand was heavy on Tuesday with reports of delays getting into Tesco, next to Bicester village.

The outlet said no roads had been closed and it was working with Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council, responsible for roads.

Bicester Village worker Paul Lukosius made the most of his day off to get a bargain at the outlet.

The 28-year-old, of Langford Gardens, Bicester, picked up £160 trainers for £62 at Sandro, where he is a stockroom controller.

He said: “I have had my eye on them.”

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