Toys R Us has responded to calls from Florida mothers and has removed its four collectible Breaking Bad dolls from the shelves.

The dolls are based on the series about Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who turns into a crystal meth dealer, and his sidekick Jesse Pinkman. The figures have a detachable bag of cash and a bag of methamphetamines.

The toy company said the dolls are being removed immediately from its website and US stores.

"Let's just say, the action figures have taken an indefinite sabbatical," Toys R Us said in a statement.

The retailer had maintained that the figures were sold in limited quantities in the adult-action-figure area of its stores.

However, a petition launched on change.org last week said the dolls are a "dangerous deviation from their family-friendly values".

"While the show may be compelling viewing for adults, its violent content and celebration of the drug trade make this collection unsuitable to be sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters," the mother, identified as Susan Schrivjer, wrote.

Bryan Cranston, the actor who played White, responded to the controversy, tweeting, "I'm so mad. I am burning my Florida mom action figure in protest."

The debate has also spurred die-hard adult figure collectors to rally behind Toys R Us.

Daniel Pickett, of Manhattan Beach, California, launched a petition on change.org in favour of the toy seller keeping the dolls. So far, it has collected nearly 3,000 signatures.