They've been a colourful - and very chewy - sweet shop favourite for almost 60 years but Tooty Frooties have finally been given the heave-ho by Nestlé.

The news that the sweets - crunchy sugar shells with a softer centre - have gone out of fashion has been greeted with despair by fans on social media, with some threatening petitions to save them and others saying they'll 'stockpile' them.

Nestle confirmed the news on Twitter, telling one unhappy customer: 'Unfortunately, we've had to say goodbye to Tooty Frooties. Our love for them will always be there but, for now, we have to let it go.'

The Swiss manufacturing giant said the latest generation prefers 'jelly and foamy' sweets.

Scroll down for video

Off to the great sweet shop in the sky! Nestle has confirmed that after nearly 60 years Tooty Frooties are being discontinued, much to the dismay of many, who said they associated them fondly with childhood

The colourful sweets, which have a hard sugar coating and a chewy centre, were first introduced in 1963 by Mackintoshs, which later became Rowntrees

The removal of the jaw-chomping sugar treat, which first made an entrance in 1963 with Rowntree's, later bought by Swiss giant Nestle, has left many feeling bereft.

@MarkWebb_ wrote: 'Didn’t know these were still a thing, but now sad in a 70’s kinda way.'

@nicjoh22 added: As if we aren’t dealing with enough madness at the moment.Now this. Why???!!!!!!'

@PhilipJReynolds asked: '@Nestle are you seriously discontinuing #TootyFrooties?STAP IT!!!!'

TV presenter Ben Shephard joined the mourning, saying: 'What? As if we haven't we got enough to deal with right now!'

Stockpiling plans went awry when Rowntree's told Twitter users they had absolutely no packets of the product left.

Gone but not forgotten! Other sugar-laden favourites confined to the great sweet shop in the sky... Sweets munched in childhood linger in the memory for a lifetime...but not always on the shelves. Here's some of the sugar-laden treats that have been consigned to the confectionery history books... So secret, it doesn't exist anymore. The nest-like chocolate bar from Cadbury offered a Walnut Whip style mousse in the centre...and was popular in the 80s and 90s The exotic-sounding strawberry and yoghurt hard candy came individually wrapped and were on the shelves until the early 90s...and although you won't find them in your local store anymore, you can pick up a bag on Amazon A one-way ticket to a dental appointment, the just toffee Toffos were a firm favourite that came in a variety of flavours including banana and mint Get ready to Mingle: Like a fun take on the After Eight mint, the Mingles offered five varieties...but didn't have mass appeal Discontinued in 2015, Cadbury's Fuse bar, which was packed with nuts, peanuts raisins, cereal and fudge pieces, is still much lusted over Spira bars - two spirals of milk chocolate - went off sale in 2005 and one fan fondly remembered using them as straws to sip tea Advertisement

A Nestlé spokesman told the Sun: 'Sweet tastes and trends change over the years and Tooty Frooties have become much less popular in the decades since their launch.

'In 2019, people prefer the jelly and foamy sweets you find in Rowntree’s Randoms and that’s why we’ve decided to concentrate on new products under the Randoms brand.'

Close-up: The sweets weren't always popular with dentists; their chewy centres being the nemesis of a loose filling. How the most recent packet of Tooty Frooties looked

The desire for products enjoyed during childhood and teenage years has prompted much debate on social media, with people getting nostalgic for everything from Body Shop perfumes to Turkey Twizzlers, which Jamie Oliver helped kill off as part of his drive to promote healthier food for children.