Fans gather at London Apple store as countdown to iPad 2 launch continues

Apple fans queued through the night at the flagship Regent Street store in London as they bid to become the first people in the UK to get their hands on the iPad 2 when it goes on sale today at 5pm.

V3.co.uk visited the store this morning where there were 14 die-hard fans, provided with their own special enclosure outside the store.

Most of the 14 punters seemed weary as they had not slept during the night. However, they remained in good spirits.

Around the corner on Little Argyll Street there were close to 100 people waiting patiently to get their hands on the iPad 2.

One particular customer who declined to be named had a suitcase with him and said that he was going to buy his iPad 2 before flying home to South Africa.

The iPad 2 went on sale on the Apple web site at 1am this morning, but the site has already been hit by glitches. Apple customers took to the forums to complain that they have been receiving an error message when trying to buy the tablet.

V3.co.uk will be providing updates of the big launch at London's Regent Street and Covent Garden stores, and will be there when the first iPad 2 goes on sale at 5pm.