The popular characters from the British television series were snapped up within minutes by mobs of people desperate to get their hands on the limited supply.

The soft toys had been the subject of massive pre-sale publicity.

Reports described the buy-up as a near riot with people climbing on top of each other and children being tipped out of push chairs in the crush.

Sold out

Despite limiting customers to four Teletubbies each, supplies in the north Island of the country were sold out in an hour.

More supplies are expected to reach New Zealand next week.

However a senior lecturer in education in New Zealand claimed the Teletubbies were turning children into zombies.

Barbara Jordan said she had banned her grandchildren from watching the hit television show.

They treat children as "powerless, dependent and requiring adults to do all their thinking and organising for them," she said.