THUNDERBIRDS have GONE -- with 39 shopping days to Christmas still to go.

The popular Thunderbirds Tracy Island toy has flown out of local toy shops -- and with stocks nationally in short supply, the toy is not expected to reappear on the shelves before the festive season.

The toy has become Bolton's most wanted and having already sold out is destined to cause heartbreak for disappointed children this Christmas.

While shops are expecting further deliveries, pre-ordering has meant that none of these will be on open sale.

A shop assistant at Toys R Us said: "The Tracy Island toy isn't even going out on the shelves. We've got such a backlog of people waiting that when they come in, the toys are all taken."

The hysteria created over certain toys recently has been phenomenal, leaving toy shops understocked and manufacturers red-faced. Once again they have been caught out by the sheer weight of demand for one product.

This year's shortages will echo the experience of Christmases past when Buzz Lightyear figures, Furbies and Teletubbies were impossible to find.

In 1993 the very same toy, Thunderbirds Tracy Island, was in such short supply that Blue Peter was asked to show children how to make one out of washing-up bottles and sticky tape.

Surprisingly, the British Association of Toy Retailers has this year placed Thunderbirds' Tracy Island only at No.4 in its top 10 list, behind the very popular micro-scooters, a talking dog called Teksta and a Who Wants to be a Millionaire? interactive board game.

Sonia Kliman, owner of Toy Town in the Market Hall, Bolton, confirmed that the most popular toys are selling out fast.

"The Thunderbirds Tracy Island has gone already and the micro-scooters and Poo-Chi dogs will follow soon. The problem is you can never predict when the rush will start. It just happens."

One toy widely predicted to be in short supply over the next week or so is Bob the Builder.

However, the Early Learning Centre on Deansgate has as yet reported no shortages but says much of its stock is moving very quickly.

The 12-inch figures are "selling like hot cakes" while its own products, Baby Be Mine and Sizzlin' Kitchen, "fly out of the shop" whenever they come in.

The computer game industry has also been hit by embarrassing shortages this year. The release on November 22 of Sony's not-so-secret-weapon, the Playstation 2, has caused much anger among gamers.

Shops are allowed only a certain number of the consoles and many stores have found this is completely out of line with demand.

An indication of how seriously computer shops take shortages and pre-ordering is provided by two Bolton stores.

The first refused to divulge any information regarding the console's availability while the second informed me that its entire quota of 87 had been pre-ordered long ago and that it had no more to sell before Christmas.

The store, however, was taking orders for its next delivery -- due in March!

Big sellers in the game market are reported to be Pokemon (once again) and the TV game Who Wants to be a Millionaire?