Gina Smith said she was shocked to discover the sweet cigarettes in theMakro shop in Washington, near Newcastle, because the packs ofCoronation, Old Toad, Everest and Krakatoa looked like real cigarettepackets.
She told Nursery World, 'I was really annoyed and took them to thecounter to complain. Children learn through role play. As soon as youpackage sweets like cigarettes, you give children the impression thatsmoking is fine.'
Ms Smith sent the picture she took to the local newspaper and the sweetshave now been removed from the shelves.
Simon Finch, spokesperson for Makro, said, 'To buy anything from a Makrostore, you need to be an adult and register as a professional customer.Our customers include a wide range of businesses, including retailerswho decide what they want to sell to their customers.
'We continually review our product range to ensure that it reflectsdemand. We've seen a decline in interest in this particular product andtherefore it won't be available at Makro in the future. We are alreadyin the process of removing unwanted stock and trust this decisionreassures the customer concerned.'