What do you think?
Carol and Michael Middleton are being criticised for selling inappropriate costumes on their party website.
Parents are questioning the decision of some high street brands, as well as websites, to sell Halloween costumes which are far too scary or sickening for children.
They are marketing outfits at children that include Jack the Ripper, the possessed girl from horror movie The Exorcist and Killer Creepy Clown.
The “inappropriate” costumes include a ‘roadkill’ pet bodysuit which is sold by Party Pieces, the company owned by Michael and Carole Middleton.
A study conducted by ChannelMum.com found that nearly half of parents believe costumes aimed at kids are now ‘too frightening’.
One in seven are worried that Halloween is becoming more sinister every year and a third say costumes no longer have a traditional Halloween theme but are selected simply to scare.
ChannelMum.com founder Siobhan Freegard said:
“Halloween maybe the second biggest event for retailers after Christmas – but it should be about having harmless fun not encouraging children to wear horrible and even highly inappropriate outfits.
“Stores have become more responsible on everyday clothing, and dressing up should be no different. There is no excuse for putting profit before children’s welfare.”
Below are the eight most ‘inappropriate’ costumes on sale for children this year:
- Jason from 18-certificate movie Friday the 13th. Sold on eBay for children aged 8. 91% of parents would not let their child wear it.
- The Slender Man. Fictional web character linked to stabbings and an attempted murder of a child in the US. Sold in Argos for 8 year olds.
- Dead Pet Roadkill. Marketed by Kate Middleton’s family firm Party Pieces as a costume for 7 year olds.
- Serial killer Jack The Ripper. Sold for kids aged from 8 on Ebay and Amazon.
- Possessed Girl. Based on 18 cert film The Exorcist, for 7 year old girls. Sold by online site Joke.co.uk
- Creepy Schoolgirl. Based on Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family. Sold for tots aged just 4 online.
- Killer Creepy Clown. Sold for 5 year olds at Joke.co.uk
- Miss Teen Hot Stuff. Sold by Fancy Dress Ball for 10-year-old girls.
