Maya The Bee penis scandal: Netflix pulls episode of children's cartoon over graphic drawing

Netflix has pulled an episode of children's animation Maya The Bee after eagle-eyed viewers noticed it featured an explicit drawing.

The streaming giant was forced into action after US mother Chey Robinson complained about a drawing of a penis etched into a tree in the 35th episode fo the show's first series.

Sharing a screen grab of the offending scene on Facebook, Robinson wrote: "Please be mindful of what your kids are watching!!"

"I know I'm not going crazy and I know that something like this shouldn't be in a kids' show whatsoever."

She continued to express her concern that young children has been exposed to phallically shaped imagery, adding:"I'm extremely disgusted by it, there should be no reason my kids have to see something like this.

Another mother, Mecca Rose Miller-Dabney, shared a clip expressing her shock. " For real this is a kid's show," she said in the clip posted to Facebook.

People have since flocked online to express off their view of the scandal, with Mathew Lisett writing: "Chey Robinson you do understand that Disney have a history of x rated drawings in literally every child movie they have ever done, so whilst its a surprise to see it, its not that uncommon for an artist through the process to do something this stupid."

Others saw the funny side of the crude drawing. "Are y'all really uptight about a d*ck in the log?"one posted.

Neither Netflix or Studio 100 Animation, the Paris-based Belgian company that made the 2012 instalment, have commented on the subject, and it is not clear how the blunder came about.

In a bizarre twist, the synopsis for the next episode to be shown in the UK – on free-to-air channel Tiny Pop – reads: "Join Maya and Willy on their adventures as they discover the world outside their hive."