MONOPOLY mania has swept Taunton since a county town version of the popular board game was launched - but enthusiasts could also be passing Go it in Beijing, Washington and Montreal.

As well as capturing the imagination of hundreds of local people, the game, launched in October, has gone global through online sales and tourists snapping up copies in shops in Somerset.

Richard Knights, chief commercial officer at the game's maker, Winning Moves UK, which produced the Taunton edition under licence from Hasbro, said the game has been selling "like hot cakes".

He said: "Come Christmas Eve, the only games we reckon that will be left will be the ones on Santa’s sleigh.

"We have developed and manufactured and sold official Monopoly games all over the world and this is selling way beyond our expectations."

Mr Knights said there have been orders from "across the world", including to ex-pats in China, the USA and Canada.

He added: "Sales have been not just to the Taunton public, but to visitors across the world who have flocked into the West Country. We know that for sure from online sales. This game developed wings and has been flying the globe."

The edition is available at Asda, The Range, Toys R Us, Waitrose, Waterstones, WHSmith and The Works, as well as via www.winningmoves.co.uk