Smyths Toys in Kent will offer same day Click and Collect and Home Delivery service during lockdown

A toy shop with stores across Kent says it will offer both a same-day click and collect option and home delivery service during lockdown.

Parents concerned about children's Christmas parents and upcoming birthdays have been hitting the aisles ahead of Thursday's nationwide shutdown, forming long queues to get into toy shops and pay at the tills.

But Smyths Toys is attempting to reassure panicked families that they will still be able to get their hands on this year's top toys and fulfill children's festive wish lists when non essential stores are closed from the end of this week.

The toy superstore, which has branches in Ashford , Aylesford , Gillingham , Thanet and Dartford , will be offering a same day click and collect service to enable parents to collect an online order from the front of their nearest store.

There will be social distancing markers, says Smyths, outside each store to show shoppers where to safely queue and wait for their order outside.

Click and Collect will be available from 9am until 9pm Monday to Friday and during normal hours at weekends alongside a home delivery option for those shopping online who aren't able or don't wish to travel.

There could be 'short periods' say Smyths, when either service is temporarily unavailable if staff are processing large volumes of orders but in a further move to reassure shoppers the store says its stock levels are good and more products will continue to arrive each week to ensure it can meet the increase in demand it is anticipating.

For more information visit www.smythstoys.com/uk

To see which toys Smyths is predicting will be top of children's wish lists this Christmas click here.

For more family-related news and events visit www.mykentfamily.co.uk