Parents warned thousands of kids face Xmas heartbreak as Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol toys set to sell out amid ports chaos

PARENTS have been warned that thousands of kids face Christmas heartbreak as Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol toys are set to sell out due to supply issues.

Disruption to international shipping from Asia caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and stockpiling ahead of Brexit have caused a bottleneck of goods ahead of the festive season.

Parents have been warned of a Christmas gift shortage (stock image)Credit: Getty – Contributor

Lorry drivers queue to access the Port of Dover and EurotunnelCredit: (c) UkNewsinPictures

Popular toys could sell out quicker than usual as container ships carrying the goods are delayed or diverted due to a lack of capacity in the UK.

Games and puzzles are also running low, with supplies unlikely to be stocked up again until 2021.

Gary Grant from The Entertainer said that shipments of toys from China were running three weeks late.

He told The Times: “My advice to parents is to get on and do your shopping as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, especially if there is a particular thing on your children’s Christmas list.

“We won’t run out of toys but we may not have enough of the must-have toys.”

Derek Crookes from the Toy Retailers Association said: “There is still stock on shelves but some lines may face shortages.

“In previous Christmases some toys have run out because they are really, really popular but this year a lot of different lines are running low and might run out entirely before new stock arrives in January.”

CHRISTMAS RUSH

Other products are also running low, including white goods, homeware and DIY supplies.

An importer said it used to pay $2,000 to ship a 40ft container to the UK, but now it is now paying between $8,000 and $10,000.

Sources in the industry say the price rises will be passed on to customers over Christmas.

Some retailers say they are cancelling orders and offering alternative toys.

One independent toy shop – that did not want to be named – said it was waiting on bigger toys like play-kitchens and castles.

The owner said: “Our suppliers have said the stock should be in close to Christmas but that’s too close for us.

“We are having to find other suppliers and say to customers, ‘I know this isn’t the exact one you ordered, but this is the one we have got.’ It’s a bit of a nightmare.”

Freight lorries between the UK and Europe are facing delays at the Eurotunnel and Port of Dover.

Felixstowe port has been clogged for weeks and delays have now spread to Southampton. It has been made worse by high seasonal demand and large shipments of PPE.

Ships have been diverted to Rotterdam in the Netherlands and their cargo is likely to miss the Christmas season.

Imported goods affected vary from toys to car parts and even screws, prompting fears of price rises.

Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers now face higher costs than ever before, with some seeing 25 per cent week-on-week rises for shipping.”

And Natasha Crookes, of the British Toy and Hobby Association, added: “We would recommend parents buy toys as they see them available, as stock shortages are difficult to manage this Christmas.”

There were long tailbacks of lorries at Dover and the Eurotunnel yesterday for the second day in a row.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said: “It is the sheer volume of traffic from stockpiling, pre-Christmas build-up and transporting medical supplies and vaccines for Covid care.”