Swedish supermarket ends sales of 'sexy' child bra

Swedish supermarket chain Ica has announced that it is to stop selling bras for 7-year-olds in its Ica Maxi stores in response to customer protests.

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Mother of two Jenny Nystedt was disgusted to find a a bra in the size 134/140 centimetres, suitable for a child aged seven or eight-years-old, in her local Ica Maxi store in Alingsås in western Sweden.

"I was completely flabbergasted. It is completely repulsive to make children into sexual objects in this way," Nystedt said to local newspaper Alingsås tidning.

Ica initially defended the sale of the item in that intention was not to sell a sexy bra but a cute top. The firm has now removed the item from shelves although continues to despite the description of the item.

"We have a policy to not sell bras for children. There had been a fuss about this before. We therefore call this item a top," Roger Halvarsson at Ica explained.

When pressed by news agency TT Halvarsson struggled to define the difference.

"I can not answer as to the difference. That is where the problem lies. A top is a short T-shirt with a shoulder strap. This is a designer top, but I must admit that on the picture it does look like a bra."

Halvarsson confirmed that the firm is now going through its clothing range to ensure that there are no further items that could be construed to be inappropriate.

This is not the first time when adult clothing items aimed at children have caused outrage in Sweden.

The Local reported in July 2008 that Swedish clothing firm Ellos withdrew a two piece bikini for girls as young as two-months-old after a massive storm of protest.

"Ellos is a family company. We do not want anyone taking offence from our assortment," said Per-Olf Gustafsson of Ellos at the time to Aftonbladet.