Schoolgirl bags Kevin the Carrot toy for Christmas after early-morning visit to Aldi

And nine-year-old Maizie Anderson was determined to take home a limited edition Kevin the Carrot toy when they went on sale today.

The star of the Aldi Christmas advert has inspired his own special collection at the supermarket - and today was the day to get your hands on one of the giant toys, which cost £19.99.

Mum Ashley, 43, was determined to make Maizie's wishes come true after it was the only thing her daughter asked for for Christmas.

Ashley, from Easington Lane, said: "She's absolutely over the moon, absolutely ecstatic."

The mother and daughter set their alarms for 5am and were down in the queue at the Aldi at Dragonville Retail Park, Durham, before 7.30am.

There were only five other people in front of them.

Ashley continued: "The queue got bigger and bigger and at 8am the doors opened."

Maizie clapped eyes on the Kevin the Carrot toys straight away, and headed off to the tills armed with two of them - the second for her brother, who is 22.

Ashley dashed around the shop, which was filling up with people, to pick up some other items in the Kevin the Carrot collection which includes Christmas decorations, colouring books and a small soft toy family, also featuring Katie the Carrot, and evil sidekick Pascal the Parsnip.

By the time the mum-of-three and her daughter left the store, the shelves were bare.

Shoppers across the country have been battling it out to take home a cuddly version of the charismatic carrot, which were only on sale today.

The 3ft-high toys are raising money for The Teenage Cancer Trust, the supermarket's charity partner. It is believed that some of them are already listed for sale on eBay.

Ashley added: "My child had asked me for one thing, the carrot, and we had to do a 5am challenge to get it, and she was over the moon!"