Storm over 'swearing' toy
Bosses at a Shropshire toy-making factory have defended a talking teddy bear which a customer accused of swearing.
Supermarket giant Tesco pulled the bears from the shelves at one of its Midland megastores after a customer complained.
Tesco chiefs have been investigating the claim to ensure it was a one-off. But bosses at Telford-based Golden Bears are adamant the toy does not swear.
The Talking Nev plush toy, which is aimed at three-year-olds and above, is a popular character from BBC's Sunday morning TV programme Smile!
The 28cm toy, which retails at about £28, features a moving mouth and head, and 10 phrases played at random.
Royston Edensor, 34, from Stafford, raised the alarm after buying the toy for his four-year-old son.
He said he pressed the toy's arm a few times to test how it worked and was "appalled" to hear what sounded like two swear words.
"I was disgusted and complained to the manager straight away," he said. "I'm just so glad I heard it before giving it to my son."
Clive Jones, Golden Bear managing director, said the bear did not, at any point, swear.
"The Talking Nev Soft Toy from Golden Bears says the catchphrases of Smile's famous presenter Nev.
"Those phrases are - Quick, Excuse Me, Love You, Fwightened, Yum Yum, Jibadeeha, Can't Scare Me, Dunno, Here I Am and N-n-no.
"The tape used in the toy is from the CBBC programme and is the actual person who voices the character in the programme. He does not, at any point, swear."
David Nieberg, for Tesco, said: "The toy was removed from sale at Tesco Extra in Stafford as a precautionary measure. It is the only complaint we have received so far, so we are investigating."
By Deborah Collins
