An artist from Deal has been forced to remove her mannequin exhibit after members of the public claimed it was too suggestive.

Sue Cowling, 71, of Victoria Road, was exhibiting a series of mannequins at Petticoat Lane Emporium in Ramsgate.

The figures were on display for just two weeks before the manager at the Emporium asked if she would take them down due to complaints that they were too sexual.

Mrs Cowling said: “They had four complaints from the general public saying it wasn’t nice for children to look at them.

“It did surprise me, I didn’t see them as they saw them. The owner of the emporium wasn’t bothered but they had four people complain and he said would I remove them. Whatever happened to democracy?”

The retired nanny said she didn’t think children would see anything sexual about the dolls.

She also said it was hypocritical for mannequins on the high street in shops such as Ann Summers to be allowed on display and her mannequins to be censored.

They have been described by members of the public as “smutty” but Mrs Cowling said: “All the bits are covered with something or another.”

One of the mannequins is painted green and black round the middle. Mrs Cowling explained that instead of coming apart at the waist like most mannequins, she has a detachable leg which means a seam runs along the crotch of the doll.

“The chap in the store next to me said she’s got PVC on and you can see rather too much. I said that’s extremely narrow-minded but I’d remove it if it was upsetting people.”

Among some of the exhibitions at Petticoat Lane Emporium is taxidermy which Mrs Cowling says could easily upset children.

She said: “How do you explain stuffing an animal and displaying it to children.”

Ruth Tozer, office administrator at Petticoat Lane Emporium, said taxidermy did cause some controversy but the Emporium has not had complaints before.

She said: “It didn’t bother me or the management but no one’s going to agree on everything. We had public complaints to the till staff.”

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