Primark slammed for selling padded bikinis for 7-year-olds

London, April 14 (ANI): Irish clothing store Primark has been accused of encouraging paedophilia after it sold bikinis with padded tops for girls aged seven.The chain's 4 pounds sets, shocked parents, who said they were clearly aimed at giving kids a sexy "breast shape".

Now child protection agencies have called on the bargain clothes chain to take them off shelves, saying that little girls wearing them would be sexualised and made attractive to predatory perverts.

Child protection consultant Shy Keenan, of the Phoenix Chief Advocates, has urged mums and dads to boycott Primark.

"It never fails to amaze me just how many High Street household names are now prepared to exploit the disgusting 'paedophile pound'," the Sun quoted her as saying.

"You should never sexualise children.

"Kids may be learning how to look sexy in an adult way but no one is teaching them what to do if they receive unwelcome robust adult attention," she said.

The bikini sets, sold alongside normal costumes in the seven to eight-year-old range, come in candy pink with gold stars or black with white polka dots.

The halter neck tops, a favourite style of glamour girl Jordan, are low cut to expose flesh.

"A padded bikini for seven-year-olds is too much at too young an age," Jenny Stallard, deputy editor of Practical Parenting and Pregnancy magazine, said.

"No wonder girls are confused about their bodies and self image," she stated.

Mum-of-three Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting website Netmums, called the tops "horrid".

"This is wrong in so many ways," she added.

Fashion lecturer Dave Morris, of De Montfort University, said: "It seems curious a High Street store is allowed to promote a 'sexy' bikini for seven-year-olds."

Primark has refused to comment. (ANI)