SHOPLIFTERS have been taking advantage of a closing down sale at Toys R Us.

Staff at the Nuffield Road branch in Poole have had to be extra vigilant to people stealing toys.

The store will be shutting after Toys R Us went into administration last week.

A spokesperson for Toys R Us said: “There have been a few more opportunists than normal during our closing down sale, which has resulted in store staff being far more vigilant on shoplifting,”

Toys R Us, which is one of the nation’s biggest toy retailers, had been hoping to secure its future by closing 26 stores and downsizing others, including the Poole store.

But it went into administration, putting 3,200 jobs at risk.

The firm was grappling with a £15 million tax bill as well as money owed to lenders.

It struggled with cash flow pressures after sales were squeezed by worse-than-expected trading over the crucial Christmas period.

In addition, falling consumer spending, soaring inflation and competition from online rivals have dented performance in recent years.