Teddy bear shops overwhelmed by ‘pay your age’ offer

BUILD-A-BEAR shops descended into chaos yesterday as thousands of shoppers rushed their stores for a “pay your age” toy offer for children.

The retailer said there had been an unprecedented response to the promotion for the bear that usually cost £20.

Build-a-bear admitted: “This greatly exceeded expectations. Queues are at capacity and we can’t accept more due to extreme crowds and safety concerns. We’re working to address the situation.”

Parents said they were “disgusted” by the queues and security that left many children “heartbroken” at missing out.