Amazon will not be in a position to launch its Kindle e-book reader in the UK in time for the Christmas market, according to the firm's UK managing director.

Brian McBride told Bookseller magazine that the launch was being held up because Amazon is still in the process of licensing international mobile access and sorting out roaming issues.

"If you need agreement with carriers in the US, there is one carrier. In Europe it is a minefield, as there are so many operators," he said.

"If you buy a Kindle in the UK and want to read it on the beach on holiday, unless we have signed deals in Spain [for example] it is not going to work on the beach.

"It has launched in the US and we will let them handle any technical wrinkles before we bring it over here."

The Kindle is a mobile electronic book reader to which text can be downloaded. The device will compete with a similar device from Sony, which is already on sale.