PRESTON got its first taste of Star Wars fever when nearly 200 sci-fi fans turned up at a local toy shop to buy the new Phantom Menace - at midnight.

Dedicated fans of the Star Wars trilogy queued outside Toys R Us for up to six hours last week, desperate to be among the first to get their hands of merchandise from the new film, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which has been tipped to become the biggest blockbuster of all time.

The latest batch of film goodies went on sale at Toys 'R' Us, on the stroke of midnight following instructions from George Lucas, the man behind the Star Wars films.

Peter Hudson, from Fulwood, was first in the queue - but he isn't bothered about seeing the film.

He said: "I have queued here for hours because it was important to get the stuff straight away. I can see the film any time but a lot of the stuff here is limited edition so will be worth a lot in the future." Sue Judge, from Ulnes Walton, Leyland, added: "I was sent here to get some of the new figures. They will all be kept in their boxes so they can become collectors items."

And Star Wars nut Wesley Hartley had even travelled from Leeds. He said: "Me and my friends are the biggest Star Wars fans going."

Toys R Us manager Jim Broadbent said: "Many of the people who came were collectors. For them to buy one of everything would cost them in excess of £1,500."

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