Variety retailer Woolworths has withdrawn from its web site bedroom furniture for young girls bearing the sexually charged name of Lolita, after outraged mothers launched an online campaign.
The Lolita Midsleeper Combi, a whitewashed wooden bed with pull-out desk and cupboard intended for girls aged about 6 years old, was on sale on Woolworths web site for£395.
Surprisingly, some of Woolworths' staff were unaware of the connotations of Lolita, a well-known novel by Vladimir Nabokov about a 12-year old girl who becomes the object of her middle-aged stepfather's sexual desire.
A Woolworths spokesman told The Times: "The staff who run the web site had never heard of Lolita and, to be honest, no one else here had either. We had to look it up on Wikipedia. But we certainly know who she is now."
A mother who was browsing the site for a new bed for her daughter was so shocked at the brand name that she posted a message at Raisingkids.co.uk and urged other parents for their response. A tirade of messages followed from other equally outraged parents.
Woolworths' decision to withdraw the bed is the latest example of the online power of parents who are concerned about the type of products being targeted at children. In 2006, Tesco removed its pole-dancing kits from the toys and games section of its web site after it was accused of damaging children's innocence.
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