Brawls and beatings: The madness of Black Friday sales

Black Friday sales have kicked off in typical fashion in the US overnight – with plenty of frenzied shoppers on the hunt for a bargain elbowing, punching, screaming and clawing at one another.

Stunned onlookers filmed the bizarre and slightly dangerous confrontations – with one video showing the moment police tasered a male shopper in the middle of a crowded department store.

In another incident two women were arrested after breaking into fisticuffs over a Barbie Doll at a Los Angeles Walmart. Eyewitness Sonia told CBS the entire incident was "very dumb".

Police officers have also been forced to pry desperate shoppers off televisions sets, which they had been lying on top of to ensure no one else took their bargain.

Meanwhile, shoppers in the UK are also embracing the Black Friday discount tradition in more ways than one.

British police have already issued a public call for "calm" with fights breaking out in department stores across the country.

In one instance, a woman had her wrist broken in a shoppers crush, while officers in Salford arrested a man after he threatened to "smash a staff member's face in".

Most Black Friday offers are also available online.