Batman fans have cleaned out New York toy stores' entire supply of Heath Ledger's Joker action figure, within minutes of them going on sale.

Devotees of the comic book series lined up early to clear shelves of the $9.99 (£5) toy, which shows Ledger in his final completed role before his premature death in January from an accidental drug overdose, aged just 29.

An employee of Times Square's Toys R Us store says, "There are none left in the warehouse. You will be waiting a while if you want one."

Some fans are believed to be buying up stock, convinced the figure is a collector's item - others are selling them on auction site eBay for up to $55 (£27.50) each.

Ledger will be seen as The Joker alongside Christian Bale's Batman in The Dark Knight - which hits movie theatres worldwide from July (08). (c) WENN