PARENTS have been left in tears after being told children's Christmas presents have sold out due to the global shipping crisis.
Panicked mums and dads have reportedly been calling toy shops to ask about availability for festive gifts.
But many products have sold out already, with no new stock expected until the New Year, the i reports.
Meanwhile, other parents have been spotted rushing to stores to stock up on presents ahead of Christmas – which is barely two months away.
Le Toy Van in Surrey sells toys made in the Far East which it suppliesto Harrods and Selfridges, but may have to wait until next year for imported goods to arrive i reports.
Founder Steve Le Van ordered double his normal stock for Christmas, but but has now sold out of dolls houses and wooden train sets.
Mr Le Van told the i: “I’ve had people already on the phone in tears wanting to buy a dolls house.
“There is still stock coming…Some would have arrived for Christmas but it will be arriving after [because of delays]."
Other popular children's toys are set to run out soon, retailers told the paper.
It comes after warnings of a Christmas toy crisis as shipping companies directed vessels away from Britain's biggest port, Felixstowe, Suffolk, this week when it ran out of storage space.
Supply problems have been caused by a shortage of lorry drivers to move the containers, Covid restrictions at ports, and a surge in imports.
'IN TEARS'
Felixstowe normally handles almost 40 per cent of Britain’s container imports and exports – including a lot of toys.
Paul Schaffer, managing director of Plum Play in Lincolnshire, told the i they were expecting a shipping container of goods last week which won't arrive until November – and admitted he "cannot possibly see" all their products arriving before Christmas.
He said: “There are certain varieties of trampolines that aren’t coming in, some swing sets aren’t with us yet."
He added: “Everybody’s probably already written their Christmas lists. It’s going to be a very hard job [for parents] managing expectations or perhaps suggesting their children adjust those lists a little.”
CHRISTMAS FEARS
The British Toy and Hobby Association, which represents manufacturers, said it expected disruption to continue over the next few months.
A Road Haulage Association (RHA) survey estimates Britain faces a shortfall of 100,000 drivers.
Big retailers have warned of problems keeping shops stocked in the run-up to Christmas.
There are also fears Christmas dinner could be "cancelled" due to shortages of turkeys.
Earlier this month, supermarket chain Iceland revealed sales of frozen turkeys had surged 409 per cent compared to the same time last year,
It has led to Brit dashing to supermarkets to stock up early as Boris Johnson conceded the country's delivery crisis could last months.
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