As thousands queued up outside Leicester Cathedral yesterday to catch a glimpse of Richard III's coffin, businesses in the city also appeared to be doing their utmost to get into the commemorative spirit. With the city centre swamped by visitors from as far and wide as the U.S and Russia, shopkeepers in Leicester have been selling off a raft of merchandise - including t-shirts, ice creams and even haircuts - in an apparent bid to cash in on the historic five-day event. From fridge magnets emblazoned with the king's signature, to a £14.95 Richard III-embossed silk ties, the souvenir frenzy has been led by the official visitor centre, a former school located next to the spot where the former monarch's remains were found in 2012. Scroll down for videos . Cashing in: A raft of memorabilia connected to Richard III's reburial is on sale at the official visitor centre, including t-shirts (pictured left) and tote bags (right) Souvenirs: Mugs with an image of the medieval king (pictured) are also available to buy from the centre . Among the souvenirs being sold for the reinterment are notepads, keyrings, mugs, t-shirts (pictured) But alongside the usual mugs, pencils and keyrings, visitors can also buy themselves glasses 'fit for a king' from a nearby optician - and can even opt for a £25 Richard III-inspired bowl haircut, being marketed at Ungaro Hair Studios. Gelato Village, an Italian ice-cream shop which has extended opening hours until 11pm for the reinterment, has also made a special Richard III rose blossom and fruits of the forest-flavoured ice cream, a move which yesterday prompted the business's 'busiest day ever'. The apparent commercialism of the event is sure to prompt outcry from those who have already criticised the king's reburial. Louise Hollingsworth, who was part of a campaign group which had argued that he should have been buried in York, has already called the event an 'undignified, money-grabbing pantomime', while one Twitter user wrote: '#richardIII no dignity in death, no dignity in burial, and after being hawked around like the FA cup on a bus, no dignity in reburial either.' Another person used Twitter to mock the hullabaloo, tweeting: 'Is there a #RichardIII Christmas decoration on sale? I can't find it.' But with the increased footfall in Leicester since the discovery in 2012 expected to bring £50m into the city's coffers, it's no surprise that businesses - and indeed residents - have been attempting to make the most of this week's event. With the increased footfall in Leicester since the discovery in 2012 expected to bring £50m into the city's coffers, it's no surprise that businesses have been attempting to make the most of the one-off event . Sarah Harrison, the council official in charge of tourism, told The Times that the council were working to ensure no merchandise was being sold on the black market . A fridge magnet, emblazoned with Richard III's signature, can also be bought by visitors to the city . Despite being given out for free as part of the newspaper, the Leicester Mercury's souvenir supplement has already made it onto eBay. Bids on one listing have already reached £20, while customers also have the option to 'buy it now' for £15. Ice cream: £2.50/£3.50/£4.50 Gelato Village . Haircut: £25 Ungaro Hair Studios . Mug: £950 Harriman & Co . Leicester Mercury souvenir supplement: £15 eBay . Silk tie: £14.95 Visitor Centre . Fridge magnet with signature: £3.75 Visitor Centre . Order of service: £17 eBay . Meanwhile, an order of service from Sunday's ceremony is also being sold on the auction site, with a current bid of £17. There is also an official King Richard III 'traffic marshal pass badge', which has an asking price of £2.50. Sarah Harrison, the council official in charge of tourism, told The Times that the council were working to ensure no merchandise was being sold on the black market. She said: 'He belongs to everybody, but we want to make sure that the way he is perceived and is treated is actually befitting the last Plantagenet king.' The former chief executive of the local chamber of commerce, Martin Traynor, estimated more than £45m will be brought into the city as a result of the so-called 'Richard III effect'. He is now the chairman of trustees of the visitor centre, which is a charitable trust. Yesterday, more than 5,000 queued outside the cathedral to visit the coffin as it lies in repose head of Thursday's reburial. The sheer volume of guests forced the cathedral - which had previously warned visitors to stay away due to over-demand - to stay open into the evening. Thousands more are expected to line up again today. By 8.30am, the queue was already one-hour long, forcing the cathedral to start admitting people into the viewing area during morning prayer. Gelato Village, an Italian ice-cream shop, has also made a special Richard III rose blossom and fruits of the forest-flavoured ice cream, a move which yesterday prompted the business's 'busiest day ever' The Leicester Mercury's souvenir supplement, produced alongside the newspaper, has already made it onto eBay. Bids on one post have already reached £20, while customers also have the option to 'buy it now' for £15 . Meanwhile, an order of service from Sunday's ceremony is also being sold on the auction site, with a current of £17, alongside an official King Richard III 'traffic marshal pass badge', which has an asking price of £2.50 . Some of those in the queue had flown to Leicester for the occasion from Vancouver, Moscow and other parts of Europe. The king's remains, will stay under the watchful eye of an honour guard of ex-Forces veterans at Leicester Cathedral until Thursday, when the 15th century ruler will finally be lowered into a purpose-built tomb made of Yorkshire Swaledale stone. The ceremony will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. On Friday, more than 8,000 flickering flames will illuminate the streets around Leicester Cathedral in a commemoration of the reinterment. The free event – entitled Leicester Glows – will see a trail of the thousands of small flames being lit in small containers which will be placed on the ground to line routes in the area surrounding the cathedral. The increased footfall in Leicester since the discovery in 2012 expected to bring £50m into the city's coffers . More than 5,000 people queued outside the cathedral yesterday (pictured), while a two-hour long queue has already formed outside the building today . The crook-backed monarch, the last English king to have died in battle, was most famously depicted as the Shakespearean hunchback in Richard III, whose brief reign is marked by the allegation that he murdered his own nephews. But the pivot for the change in public opinion - which sparked a huge debate over the whereabouts of his reinterment - was in 2012, when the monarch's bones were discovered beneath a social services parking bay in central Leicester. When DNA tests, bone analysis and other scientific scrutiny established that the skeleton belonged to the king, archaeologists revealed that he had been given a hasty burial, with a grave so short the king's head was propped up against its side. Visitors will be able to visit the coffin between 9am and 12.30pm today, and then between 2pm and 5pm and 7.15pm and 9pm. Tomorrow, viewing will take place between 9am and 12.30pm.
Thousands have flocked to see Richard III's coffin in Leicester Cathedral . Business are cashing in by selling items connected to king's reinterment . Visitor centre selling raft of goods including t-shirts, pencils and tote bags . Local gelataria is selling Richard III rose blossom-flavoured ice cream . Richard III discovery and reburial expected to bring £50m into Leicester .