Mum gets the hump over '˜rude' Camel Balls sweets sold to her daughter

Angela Hamilton, of Millfield, Sunderland, said she was mortified when her children returned from a trip to the shop with sweets named Camel Balls.

Her daughter Ellie Slater, nine, had gone to the nearby Millfield News, in Hylton Road, with her brothers Ethan Slater and Keiron Barras, both 11, and bought the sweets which Angela feels are in rude packaging.

The 5p bubble gum packet features a drawing of a cartoon camel, pictured from behind and peeking over his shoulder, with his private parts on show.

It also features the words “liquid filled” and “extra sour”.

Angela, who is also mum to Keely Barras, 16, said: “Ellie came back with these Camel Balls sweets and she was laughing her head off at the packaging, but I don’t think she quite knew why she found it so funny.

“It’s not the name I’ve got a problem with, it’s the picture on the packet which is really vulgar. I’ve banned the kids from buying them again. I want to know what they’re thinking selling sweets like this to a young kid.”

Angela said she was concerned that the packaging could lead to her daughter asking questions.

She said: “The packaging is really offensive, it’s ridiculous. I trust them to go to the shop on their own, but I’m upset that they’ve been served with these sweets, and that they’re being targeted at children in the first place.

“She thought it was hilarious and I had to explain that it wasn’t and I shouldn’t have had to do that.

“The sweets are just really inappropriate and shouldn’t be being aimed at children. I was mortified when she handed them to me.”

Shop owners say it is one of many stores in the region that sells the sweets and that they’ve stocked them for years.

The shop says there have not been any complaints about the sweets in the past.

A spokesman said: “They’ve been out for a long time now, we’ve had them in for years. I was a bit shocked when I first saw the packet and we were all talking about it in the shop, but the kids love them and no one has ever complained.

“We’ve continued to sell them because they’re popular.

“We don’t order them in specifically, but when the rep has them when he comes we’ll take them because the kids really like them.”