Christmas toy rush being driven by squishies and building sets

Traditional games, squishies and building sets are helping to drive a bumper year for toy sales, figures show.

The data comes ahead of the crucial Christmas run-in for retailers, which peaks at 23 toys sold every second in the UK.

The number of toys sold up to October was 17% higher than the same period last year and growth is at a 10-year high, according to research company Circana.

The increase comes despite consumers' cost-of-living pressures, and there are signs that some of the biggest growth in sales is for toys priced between £5 and £10.

Despite relatively low sales in recent years, the toy sector has been buoyed by sales to "kidults".