IF YOU go down to the shops today, you're sure of a big surprise, especially if you were looking to take advantage of the Build-a-Bear Workshop promotional offer in Chester.

The national toy retailer launched its first 'pay your age' incentive, which allows parents to take along their young ones and end up paying for heavily discounted bears.

In order to participate in the promotion, parents or guardians need to join the free Build-A-Bear bonus reward scheme, providing a valid email address and name that will entitle a little guest to purchase a toy at the lower cost.

But the offer has worked too well, with huge queues reported outside stores across the country, resulting in families having to wait literally hours to be served - and now parents are being turned away as queues have been capped.

The Chester store in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre is one of the affected stores, with parents forming a queue which snakes around the centre of the shopping centre and, even as noon approached, the back of the queue was outside the former Ed's Easy Diner.

Shortly after noon, the queue has been capped, with no-one else allowed to join it as stock will be running low.

A statement on the Build-a-Bear Workshop Facebook page explained: "The response to our Pay Your Age Day event at all of our UK locations has been overwhelming and unprecedented in our 21-year history.

"The crowds have greatly exceeded our expectations and, per local authorities, queues are at capacity and we cannot accept additional guests due to extreme crowds and safety concerns.

"We understand our guests are disappointed, and we are working to address the situation. We will reach out directly to our valued guests as soon as possible."

It is not yet known if the offer will be repeated in its current form.