Kim BriscoeFamilies hunting for a sledge so they can have fun in the snow face an uphill battle as toy stores across Norfolk sell out.Kim Briscoe

Families hunting for a sledge so they can have fun in the snow face an uphill battle as toy stores across Norfolk sell out.

The snowy spell closed more than 350 schools in the county yesterday and today, and with thousands of children enjoying the time off families have been snapping up the traditional outdoor toy.

Kerrison Toys, in Aylsham Road, Norwich, has sold more than 1,000 sledges this winter. It last delivery, of 400 sledges, sold out in little over a day.

Steve Kerrison said they sold their last sledge yesterday afternoon.

He said: 'You can only hold so many in stock and most of the sledges come from Germany or America. The German ones are expensive because of the Euro and although America is cheaper it takes a long time for them to get here. I won't get any more now until the end of the month.'

Cheryl Howell, news manager of Starlings Toymaster in Sheringham, said: "We had about 36 in yesterday morning but by lunchtime they had all sold out. We have four branches in Norfolk and between us we had about 200 but they're all gone now. There's nowhere else in Sheringham or Holt that sells them."

Youngsters World in Norfolk Street in King's Lynn has sold more than 250 sledges in the last 10 days. They sold out at 10am this morning after a delivery of 60 sledges yesterday afternoon.

They are not expecting to get anymore in until next week.

Roy Minshull, owner of Toy Box Toys in Diss, said he sold out of sledges before Christmas and has been struggling to get hold of new stocks.

He said: 'It is something you keep in stock, but not a huge amount of. The last lot we had in stock for nearly three years, but I could have sold hundreds this week and have had so many calls from people wanting to buy a sledge.'

'I have been trying to get hold of more all week, but the wholesalers have no stock. I hope to get more as I think this weather is supposed to last for a bit,' he said.

Clare Parker, manager of Starlings Toymaster in Dereham, said the store had had a delivery of sledges on Tuesday night.

She said: "We sold about 60 sledges on Wednesday, and 12 on Thursday. We had sold out by Thursday afternoon.

"We have had so many people coming in asking for sledges. We have ordered some more but we have been told they are going to

take two more weeks to get here."

The only sledge left in the Dereham store is a wooden sledge priced at �99.99.

For further details on where sledges can and cannot be found in Norfolk, follow the discussion on our live weather updates page.