Fighting spinning tops which have become a playground craze across the country were today named as the toy of 2002.

Beyblades were top of the wish list of youngsters last Christmas and made the biggest impact in the industry, according to the British Association of Toy Retailers (BATR).

Best new product of last year was Mircopets, tiny one-inch creatures that interact with each other and follow spoken commands.

The game of 2002 was Top Trumps - card sets listing statistics on subjects as diverse as The Simpsons to Lord of the Rings making a comeback after their heyday in the Seventies.

BATR chairman Val Stedham said most of the winning toys cost less than £10.

She said: "Beyblades were absolutely massive last year and still are. They have got play value and are popular with girls and boys, but mostly boys. They bring them into the playground and are crazy about them.

"Micropets is another product the children love and doing really well.

"Top Trumps have just been updated for a new generation. There's nothing wrong with that. They are very collectable and priced so kids can afford them with their pocket money."

Boys' toy of the year was the Spiderman range. Girls' toy of the year was Bratz Dolls.