SOME shoppers — and children — find Christmas shopping stressful due to the increased number of people, sounds and lights.

In response, toy shop The Entertainer has introduced a Christmas quiet hour every day in its 171 stores across the country, including Newport, Isle of Wight.

The initiative aims to create a calmer shopping environment for autistic people and any shoppers who find the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping an uncomfortable experience.

Store staff have undertaken additional training to help them support customers who may be overwhelmed by the sensory overload Christmas shopping can bring.

A spokesperson said: "While other retailers will be turning up the Christmas carols and adding flashing lights, The Entertainer will be turning off its Christmas songs and dimming the lights wherever possible for an hour a day."

The Entertainer’s Christmas quiet hour will be in operation for the first hour of trading at each store until Tuesday, December 31.