A VIDEO game linked to the horrific murder of a teenager has sold out of stores across the UK - including major Manchester outlets - as gamers rush to buy it before it is banned.

HMV, one of the only major high street retailers currently selling Manhunt, said demand for the game had "significantly increased" at its 200 stores.

Manhunt has also sold out at the chain's branches in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool and Belfast.

And HMV stores in London's Leicester Square and Oxford Circus and Aberdeen have recently restocked after running out of copies last week.

The parents of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah have blamed the "serial murder simulation" for the death of their son.

Warren Leblanc, 17, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester, last week pleaded guilty to Stefan's murder in February this year.

He had savagely beaten his friend with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly after luring him to a local park to rob him.

The Dixons Group last week withdrew the game from its Dixons, Currys and PC World stores, while Game and Virgin Megastores have also pulled Manhunt.

Interest

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: "Interest in Manhunt has significantly increased for all the wrong reasons. It's flying off the shelves."

Mr Castaldo said HMV had not followed Dixons example in withdrawing the game because it did not believe it should act as a censor.

HMV insisted banning Manhunt would only divert sales to the internet or unscrupulous market traders.
Mr Castaldo said: éThe media coverage of the last few days, calling for it to be banned has, ironically, prompted a great deal more interest among the public.

éIf you ban the game, all you do is to increase its appeal among the very people you are trying to dissuade from playing it and to drive sales underground via the internet or illegal market traders.
éThe difference is that they wonét care who they sell it to and canét be relied on to enforce its 18-certification.é