Aldi shoppers fighting and pushing to get hands on Kevin the Carrot toys after queuing since 6.30am

ALDI shoppers have been fighting their way through stores to get their hands on Kevin the Carrot toys after queuing in the cold and dark from 6.30am.

Customer Troy Cardwell, 25, told The Sun he had to push his way out of his local store in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire with people fighting and shoving to get to the middle aisle.

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The student had been queuing outside the store with his partner from 6.50am but he says as soon as the doors opened at 8am people rushed to the toys and he was quickly surrounded.

He said: "At one point I was squished up against the cages where the stock goes and I got hit in the back by someone, which I hope was an accident.

"I'm not good in crowds and the whole situation was making me feel panicked and annoyed, so I was asking people what they wanted and passing items to them just so I could get to the tills.

"I asked people if they could please move but it fell on deaf ears.

"I had to fight my way out before getting hurt, people were literally pushing and shoving."

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He also posted a video on Twitter showing shoppers crowding around the toys at Aldi.

Luckily Troy and his partner were able to snap up the items they wanted - some of which they'll be keeping and the rest they'll be giving as Christmas presents.

Troy had tried to buy the smaller versions of Kevin and his family online when they launched earlier this week but says he never even got through to the site before they sold out.

'Trolleys were being used as weapons'

Another shopper reported the toys being snatched out of people's hands and trolleys being used "as weapons".

She tweeted: @AldiUK I was waiting outside your Laird street store, when I see three members of your staff in the front of the queue.

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"As soon as the doors opened all three used trolleys as weapons and all three trolleys were filled with kevin the carrot items. One even snatched an item from another lady."

Another wrote: "I just saw a woman clutching a 3ft long stuffed carrot leaving Aldi and thought it can't be true.

"Then inside there were a dozen people fighting over more of them. The world has gone mad."

Someone else added: "This is not a drill, there are people in Aldi fighting over Kevin the Carrot toys!"

Another said: "Can’t actually believe I nearly had a fight in Aldi over a Kevin the Carrot."

More than 2million Kevin the carrot toys were delivered to stores but Aldi says the demand has been "unprecedented".

'Hundreds' of people queued outside

One person commented on the that around 100 people were in the queue waiting for the store to open.

She wrote: "My Husband is 7th in the queue and guesses about 100 behind him! Only going for a Kevin, tomato and Sprout for our three-year-old."

Another person reckoned there were about 70 people waiting outside their local store. They wrote in the Facebook group: "Got my message people went crazy for Kevin and other toys c.70 were outside our Aldi my partner said."

Other shoppers posted pictures of themselves waiting in the cold and dark from 6.30am to get their hands on the toy.

One tweeted at 6.37am: "Fourth-year running sat outside @AldiUK hours before the store opens on aunty duties."

Another tweeted a picture in the dark outside their local store at 7am: "It's Kevin day @AldiUK @IKevinTheCarrot #KevinTheCarrot"

Someone posted a picture of them in the rain saying: "@blamelewis I'm sitting in my car waiting for Aldi to open. Today is the day Kevin the Carrot merchandise is on sale."

Another tweeted: "My daughter was up and dressed at 5.55am some wants a Kevin."

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While another shopper said: "My mum and her friend have discussed and planed this day for months. That's right. The release of Kevin the Carrot. #KevinTheCarrot #aldi #christmas #leafyblinders @AldiUK"

Someone else was grateful to their gran for picking up a Kevin for them: "My gran is just the sweetest human ever. She’s all excited and got up early to go down to Aldi to buy the Kevin the Carrot. We do not deserve grandparents."

While another person added: "Thanks to the store manager @AldiUK Whitley Bay (near the Ice Rink).

"He let us stand in the front of the store when it was raining this morning waiting for Kevin the Carrot soft toys. Giving out mince pies as well #KevinTheCarrot #greatservice"

Toys sold out in minutes

Other shoppers report being left empty handed though, with shelves quickly being cleared. One wrote: "I would like to complain about Kevin the carrot and friends in store.

"I have missed out on getting any due to people taking loads and filling up their trolleys. I thought it was restricted to two each per customer.

"I was there at 8am when the store opened. Not happy."

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Another person commented on Facebook: "All sprouts have gone within three minutes of my Aldi opening - lots of carrots left."

Someone else added: "Radford Road store in Coventry sold our of sprouts within 20 minutes!"

Kevin the Carrot is the star of the discounter's circus-themed Christmas advert.

Prices start from £1.99 for Kevin-themed merchandise, with plush toys ranging in price from £3.99 to £49.99 for an inflatable snow globe (online only).

Alongside Kevin is wife Katie and Peaky Blinders'themed Russell Sprout.

The toys went on sale online earlier this week and were quickly being flogged on eBay for hundreds of pounds.

But they only went on sale in stores and shoppers have been lining up for hours in the hope of getting their hands on them.

Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying from Aldi UK said: “Our colleagues opened the doors at 8am this morning and were met with an unprecedented number of customers looking to get their hands on Kevin the Carrot toys and his other friends, including Russell Sprout.

“We know our Kevin the Carrot soft toys and merchandise are incredibly popular with our customers and this year we increased the amount on offer.

“To give as many Kevin fans as possible the chance to buy the range, we have limited purchases to two soft toys per customer, but as with all of our Specialbuys products, once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

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Looking for more Christmas goodies? Aldi’s festive range includes a singing and dancing Santa, inflatable snow globe and light-up deer.

You may be interested in reading that Aldi is selling a wood burner lantern for Christmas.

Do you love watching Christmas adverts? Watch all the TV ads from John Lewis, Sainsbury's, Aldi and more.