PEOPLE in Bicester could be forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu, looking at our front page today.

The horrendous traffic queues and widespread parking on residents’ driveways seen last Boxing Day appear to have been repeated.

In 2011, Bicester Village said it would take steps to address the problem.

They say the proof is in the pudding, but there was quite a sour taste in the mouths of people in Bicester.

Of course there is no silver bullet to the traffic problems caused when 40,000 shoppers turn up on your doorstep all hoping for a bargain.

The sooner the planned roadworks are completed as part of the next phase of development there, the better.

Ultimately, as the huge level of interest in the middle of a recession shows, the economic boost Bicester Village gives is good for the area and its prosperity.

And the centre did take the extradordinary step of actually telling people not to come, on what is typically one of retail’s most profitable days.

But still, bosses at the village need to be able to make improvements every year.