Argos customer receives toy with “your mum’s a sl**” written on weeks after losing her mother

ARGOS has apologised to a customer after she received a toy with the words “Your mum’s a sl**” written across it, just weeks after losing her mother.

Natalie Smith was horrified when she unboxed the £16 Megasketcher and found the crude phrase had been left on the board.

The 32-year-old had purchased the item for her one-year-old son from her local branch in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

But when she got the toy home on Tuesday, she was left stunned by the offensive message, which hit closer to home due to the recent death of mum, Eileen Smith, in October.

The customer service adviser took to Argos’ social media page to complain the next day, sharing a snap of the item.

She wrote alongside it: “Picked up a click and collect order this afternoon to find a lovely message written on a child’s toy.

“While I do have a sense of humour, I find this highly inappropriate on a kids toy and also losing my mum only a few weeks ago, rather insensitive.”

Social media users were equally shocked by the message.

Claire Jones wrote under the post: “Absolutely disgusting. You do not need this just after losing your mum.”

And Paula Joyce branded the blunder, “disgusting”.

Speaking today, Natalie said: “I’m still a little disappointed the item was left with that message on.

“I understand it was written as a joke so I do see the funny side of it, it’s just very inappropriate on a children’s toy.

“Also it wasn’t hard for the message to be erased as the eraser is clearly visible.

“It wasn’t nice as it’s still a raw situation. I know whoever wrote the message didn’t think as far as who would collect the item would have just lost their mum.

“It makes you think if a child had received the item with that message that could read, it wouldn’t be nice for them.

“I’m just glad my little one is only turning 2 next week and can’t read yet.”

Yesterday, Argos said it was “urgently” looking into the incident.

An Argos spokeswoman said: “We’re very sorry for Natalie’s experience and the offence this has caused.

“We’re investigating as a matter of urgency how this happened.

“We are in touch with Natalie to offer a gesture of goodwill.”