A mum has taken aim at a Sainsbury's supermarket in Berkshire that displayed DVD copies of IT Chapter Two next to a small mannequin that appears to be meant to represent a kidnapped child.
The film, which is available to buy now, is about a murderous clown - and occasional crab monster - called Pennywise that kidnaps children, hence why one parent found it incredibly distasteful to see a mocked-up victim child in the shop in Winnersh, Berkshire.
The small dummy was dressed in a yellow coat and wellington boots, similar to those worn by Georgie in the first IT film, who is dragged down a storm drain by Pennywise early on. All of the clothes on the mannequin are also available to buy in the shop.
The mum who spotted this macabre display contacted the shop online, but was reportedly told via reply messages that it was 'appropriate' for use anywhere within the store, but it was at the discretion of the individual store manager as to where to put it.
In this case, it's right at the front of the shop.
The horrified parent also added that she spoke to the store manager, but they didn't understand why the display might be distressing because they hadn't seen the film.
To be fair, the movie was awarded a 15 certificate in the UK, so children shouldn't have seen it either.
That doesn't mean that a strange faceless mannequin child isn't weird to begin with though.
Anyway, the mum in question - who appears to have chosen to remain anonymous - said: "When I explained the plot (that children get kidnapped by an evil clown) he said, 'oh I see what you mean, I haven't seen it'.
"Luckily I wasn't with my child - they would have been petrified and refused to go into the store if she had seen it.
"It's not an appropriate display for a store where families shop."
She added: "And why would they dress up the model in clothes you can buy in store? Who would see that and think 'that jacket is great for my child'?"
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's confirmed that the store has now removed the display, and apologised for any offence caused.
According to reports from other stores, there have been similar displays in superstores in Didcot and Kidlington. It is not known whether they have also been removed.
The statement from Sainsbury's said: "The Winnersh store's display has been removed. We have apologised to [anonymous] for any upset it may have caused."
Featured Image Credit: Oxford MailTopics: UK News, US Entertainment, Weird