Grandparents’ anger after their eight-year-old granddaughter’s Christmas bath set contained a lewd message
Richard Shiner and his wife Tracey were horrified when little Macy asked why the bottle instructed her to “invite someone into the shower” with her to enjoy it fully
A PAIR of grandparents were left disgusted when their eight-year-old granddaughter opened a bath set they’d given her for Christmas and found a lewd message inside.
Doting Richard Shiner and his wife Tracey were horrified when little Macy asked why the bottle of shower gel instructed her to “invite someone into the shower” with her to enjoy it fully.
The 54-year-old plasterer slammed the crude message and told The Sun: “It’s wrong. If I wanted something like that I’d have gone into an Ann Summers shop.”
He and Tracey, also 54, had given Macy a ‘Little Snow Fairy’ bath set from high street chain Lush - bought from the Chelmsford branch in Essex - because the name made it sound particularly child-friendly.
It contained shower gel and mouldable bath putty, while five-year-old brother Buddy was given a different set containing gel and a bath bomb.
But after Macy had unwrapped her gift at her grandparents’ home in Stanford-le-hope, Essex, on Christmas night, Richard discovered the offensive labelling on the bottle of shower gel.
He said: “My wife spends quite a bit of money in Lush and bought two sets for my two grandchildren.
"It didn’t say anything about age restrictions or anything.
“They opened their bits and pieces on Christmas night, and Macy undid her one.
“It was called ‘Little Snow Fairy’ which to me indicates it’s ideal for kids.
RELATED STORIES
“I happened to pick up the bottle and was reading aloud how to use it.
"The instructions on the shower gel says: ‘How to use: If you really don’t know how to use this, then we suggest you find someone you really like and invite them into the shower with you to demonstrate.’
“I couldn’t believe it said that. Then of course Macy was asking me what it meant.
“I didn’t know what to say to her, so I had to pretend it meant she could bath with Buddy. But that’s not really appropriate either.
"It was the only thing I could think of to say to her at the time.”
Richard says he was so upset he broke the habit of a lifetime and decided to contact the chain’s HQ to complain.
He claims he was told several other customers have made similar complaints about the labelling and added: “I’ve never, ever in my life phoned a company to complain.
“But I phoned up and a girl answered the phone and although she didn’t actually laugh, I could tell from her tone of voice that she thought it was fine.
“I said ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate. It should have an age warning on it.’
“She put me on to the manager and he said, ‘They’re meant to be tongue in cheek.’
“I said to him: ‘It’s wrong. If I wanted something like that, I’d have gone to an Ann Summers shop.’
“And I told him, ‘Innuendo amongst adults is fine, but when you’ve got to explain to an eight-year-old what it means, I think that’s wrong.’
“He said I wasn’t the first person to complain about this - they’ve had four or five complaints over the past couple of years about it, but nothing’s been done about it. And he actually said this batch is aimed at children.
“He did apologise and offered me two free bath bombs, but I said it wasn’t about that - I wanted their labelling to be changed.
"He didn’t even take my name or address though, so I don’t think anything will be done.”
The Sun Online contacted Lush for a comment.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368.