Nintendo has said it will stop advertising the Wii consoles in the UK in the run-up to Christmas because it cannot meet demand.

Demand for the Wii has reached such levels that shops are selling out in minutes, leaving parents stuck over what to get their children for Christmas.

A Nintendo spokesman told Marketing Week: " We have been running the campaign all year, but we want to take a responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand."

Nintendo has been facing criticism from some that it was artificially restricting supply of the popular console; rumours that the company has denied.

The Wii console, which is the first to incorporate full movement recognition into a games controller, has proved this season's must-have gift and prices on eBay are already double those in the shops.