The placement of monkey teething toys next to the African and Caribbean section in a Morrisons store in West London has been deemed a "racist joke" by a customer.
Nadeane Smallwood, 37, spotted the toy in the world foods aisle of the Brentford Waterfront store on June 20. The toy, priced at £5, was placed directly next to a sign featuring Jamaican and Nigerian flags.
The customer, who holds British and Jamaican citizenship, described the placement as "taking the p*ss" and accused the store of making a blatant racist comment.
Nadeane added that she was shocked by the placement, saying: "I have travelled a lot, and you get an odd comment, but I never experienced it so blatantly in the UK."
A spokesperson for Morrisons apologized for the placement, stating that it was never the store's intention to offend. The product was removed as soon as the store was made aware of the issue.
Nadeane did not report the incident to store staff, as she was concerned that it could lead to conflict. The incident has sparked debate about racism and cultural insensitivity in the UK.
Morrisons has since apologized for the placement of the product, stating that it was not their intention to offend. The store has taken steps to address the issue and prevent similar incidents in the future.
