A shop selling lingerie for pregnant women has been forced to withdraw a mannequin with a baby bump from its window after it sparked complaints.

Amanda Bere opened her shop in Selby, North Yorkshire, eight weeks ago and dressed the dummy in a black nursing bra to promote her stock.

But she said many of the town’s older residents took offence. The mannequin, which Mrs Bere calls ‘Emily’, has now been moved to the back of the store.

‘Taking a stand’

She told BBC Look North: “It started with people looking in the window and making comments outside and they told me their points of view that they found it offensive.

“Other shop traders also told me that people were saying to them that it was offensive and that I should cover her up or move her.

“So I put a camisole on Emily and someone else made another comment, saying that they could still see the bump, so I put her in the corner of the shop away from the window.”

Mrs Bere said she was “a bit taken aback” by the comments.

“But I don’t want to offend anybody so I moved her. I don’t think you would found this [response] in Leeds or York, I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelid.”

Mrs Bere said more people were coming into her shop since she moved the dummy but members of a local breastfeeding group, which she supports, have been angered by the residents’ comments.

And she said she was considering “taking a stand” by moving the mannequin back into the window.

She said: “They [the breastfeeding group] were a bit upset that I moved her because they wanted to see her.

“And I am the only shop in Selby that does sell maternity wear and I wanted to show people what I did.”