Primark accused of sexualising toddlers after bikinis for children as young as one go on sale

High-street retailer Primark has provoked fresh controversy after launching a range of bikinis for children as young as one.

Holli Sherratt, 22, was left outraged after spotting the swimwear in her local branch and realizing they were designed for toddlers.

The mum-of-three from Paignton, in Devon, said: "In my eyes it is completely stripping the innocence and childhood of said child.

"When I first saw the bikini, I instantly thought it was lovely until I realized it was for a child."

"A child should be covered up, protected from the sun and not flaunted as some sort of model.

"I have a daughter of my own and I want to protect her innocence and let her be a child. I look at this bikini the same way I look at bras that are aimed at young children."

On learning of the £4 swimwear, Ade told IBTimes UK that she found it "inappropriate" and said she considered it another way of sexualising and exploiting young girls.

"It is our duty as parents to protect them from being prey to the disgusting world we live in, and so I think it's extremely important that we don't buy into such things," the mother of two said.

While many mothers has joined the chorus of complaints online, some mothers have described the drama as nothing more than a storm in a teacup, with Eldretta, 29, from London, telling IBTimes UK: "What has a 1 year old got to show? I don't really see the difference with a bikini and a one piece at that age. Their body is not developed in any way. What they are showing? Belly button!"

The pregnant mother of one went on to say that the problem lies with society and not the child's attire. "Children can no longer be innocent without things being taken out of context. We as a society just need to get our heads out of the gutter. I can understand if it was a 12-year-old girl who has hit puberty and her body has developed."

Children's charity Kidscape, whose mission is to provide children, families, careers and professionals with advice, training and practical tools to prevent bullying and protect young lives is now calling for Primark to remove the items from stores and "let our children be children"

"We are utterly dismayed that high street stores continue to profit from 'adult' clothes such as bikinis and bras sold to babies and young children," said Kidscape CEO Lauren Seager-Smith.

"This is a difficult enough world for girls to grow up in, with sexual harassment a serious issue in our schools. Let our children be children and save the bikinis and bras for a time when a) they have breasts and b) make a conscious choice to wear them."

However, Primark has defended the offending bikinis with a spokesperson saying all "Primark's children's wear, including swimwear, is designed in line with British Retail Consortium guidelines and we take great care to ensure all our children's ranges are age-appropriate."