UK high street retailers Game and HMV have been forced to pull their planned midnight launches of Sony's much anticipated PlayStation 3, after the Metropolitan Police expressed concerns that early buyers could be targeted by muggers.

The stores had planned to open their doors at midnight on Thursday to allow the first customers to get their hands on the £425 machines.

Instead, Game and HMV will open their doors early on Friday morning to allow the users who have pre-ordered to pick up the machines.

Virgin Megastore, however, is letting buyers camp out on the lower ground floor of its flagship Oxford Street store from noon on Wednesday.

Apparently the lower ground floor of the store will be turned into a campsite and fans will be treated to refreshments and entertainment.

Sony is understood to have made 220,000 PlayStation 3s available for the UK launch.