The White Company has been blasted over the selling of face masks for children, with the move being branded “ridiculous”.
Three listings appeared on the company’s website showing children wearing different mask designs.
One shows a young girl, wearing a white face mask with faint red stripes and a red woven flower in the centre.
Another shows a boy wearing a blue-stripped mask, while the third shows another young girl in a floral-designed mask.
WATCH HERE: Covid Evidence for effectiveness of face masks
At time of writing, the listings still appear on the search page but when clicked on appear to have been removed from the website and now show a ‘we can’t find the page message’.
A spokesperson for The White Company said: “These masks are old stock and have been uploaded to site in error and we have now removed.”
However, calls placed by GB News confirmed one store in Windsor had the physical stock available to buy in-store today.
Other studies have shown that face masks do effectively reduce transmission but note that other factors such as social distancing and frequent hand washing could also be a factor.
Posting pictures of the children wearing masks, GB News’ Bev Turner wrote on social media: “One of my favourite brands... The White Company.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT:
GB News' Bev Turner said: 'We are not China. We must not think this is OK'
The White Company online listing
“I have their children's gorgeous & well-worn pyjamas carefully folded away for the grandchildren.... And here they are normalising the covering of beautiful little faces.
“Multiple studies prove masks do nothing for infection & cause great harm to emotional & verbal development in kids.
“We are not China. We must not think this is OK.
“C'mon The White Company you are better than this....”
GB News’ Michelle Dewberry added: “‘Comfortable enough to wear all day’ say The White Company describing these ridiculous masks *FOR CHILDREN*.
“Face it - there’s something not quite right with most parents who would do this to their children, nor the brands who seek to profit from it.”
Another social media users said: “They are promoting harm to children. It has been established that wearing masks for a prolong period of time is harmful.”
Social media users called for a boycott of the company
The White Company
A second wrote: “Why would any company want to depict little children with their faces being smothered by a piece of germ infested tat?
“Shame on you White company, this is not normal, what it is is rather disturbing and just plain wrong. You were one of my favourite companies.”
According to a study published by the UK Health Security Agency (Rapid review update 2), Four studies set in schools and a summer camp found mixed results in the effectiveness of face coverings.
Two further studies by the European Journal of Public Health found psychological symptoms such as anxiety and stress as well as concentration and learning problems due to wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.