West End traffic ban at Christmas

Human rickshaws will be on hand to help shoppers

Part of London's West End will be a traffic-free zone for a day as part of a Christmas shopping extravaganza.

Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street will be free of vehicles on 1 December for the Shop West End VIP (Very Important Pedestrians) Day.

It is the second year running that such a ban has been imposed in central London during the festive season.

As traffic is banned from the area human rickshaws and butlers will be on hand to help overloaded shoppers.

Shoppers will also be entertained by bands, musicians, dancers and street artists throughout the day.

More than one million shoppers flooded into the West End for last year's event.

London's mayor Ken Livingstone, said: "The West End is one of the world's greatest shopping destinations and Shop West End VIP Day provides another valuable opportunity for retailers to boost sales ahead of Christmas trading and showcase London to visitors.