Christmas shopping a pedestrian's delight

London's west-end, one of Europe's busiest shopping district attracting over 40 million shoppers over Christmas, will be pedestrianised for a day of luxury shopping in the run-up to the holidays. On Saturday December 2, the west-end will be cleared of cars and buses to make way for Lapland reindeer, an elf choir and Santa himself. Instead of noise pollution from endless cars and bendy-buses, shoppers can will find stands with hot chocolate and mince pies during the VIP shopping day.

Stores such as Gap, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Penhaligons and John Lewis will be offering free manicures, massages and beauty makeovers, while Levis and Aquascutum will dispense free champagne and Austin Reed, Evans, Ted Baker and Godiva will hand out mulled wine, eggnog and mince pies. Santa and six reindeer will launch the Selfridges Grotto at 11am with assistance from Mrs Christmas and her choir of 20 elves. Visitors to the department stores will then be treated to free hot chocolate, Lindt Lindor chocolates and Krispy Creme donuts, said the Mail on Sunday.

As with the ritual of the Oxford Street Christmas lights, there will be entertainment throughout the day, which ends at 4pm, although shops will stay open until 9pm. London Mayor Ken Livingstone believes that, in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, London will become even more of a shopping magnet. "This is a recognition that the West End is, more than ever before, promoting London on both a national and a world scale," he said. The VIP Christmas shopping extravaganza takes place from 11am on Oxford Street and Regent Street. Radio station Heart 106.2fm will set up camp at Oxford Circus and play your favourite Christmas music.