STRUGGLING retail giant Toys'R'Us has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada after battling with mammoth debts and online competition.

But the group, which has around 1,600 stores worldwide, including a branch at Cribbs Causeway, said its stores outside of the US and Canada - including the UK and Europe - are not affected.

Toys'R'Us said its stores would operate "as usual" while it looks to restructure a $5.6billion (£3.6billion) debt mountain.

The New Jersey-based chain has secured more than $3billion (£2.2billion) in financing from a syndicate of lenders to help keep its stores open.

It comes ahead of the all-important Christmas season, which makes up around 40 per cent of the group's annual sales.

The filing is the latest example of turmoil in the retail industry as the shift online takes its toll on established players.

Dave Brandon, chairman and chief executive of Toys'R'Us, said: "We are confident that we are taking the right steps to ensure that the iconic Toys'R'Us and Babies'R'Us brands live on for many generations."

He added: "As the holiday season approaches, our global team members are ready to serve the millions of kids and families who will be shopping with us."

The private equity-owned company sought to assure that it will be working to ensure it is fully stocked and that products are delivered on time.

Toys'R'Us has suffered falling like-for-like sales for three quarters in a row and reported a quarterly net loss of $164million (£121million) on sales of $2.2billion (£1.6billion) in June.