Parents ‘shocked’ after children’s pranks use realistic ‘body bag’ decorations

October 21, 2024, 8:13 am

A children’s play has been forced to remove realistic Halloween decorations from the body bag after “shocked” parents raised concerns.

Rugrats and Halfpints, Cirencester, Gloucestershire took down the decorations after parents complained, with one mum saying she was “looked twice” at the morbid sight.

The images show decorations that resemble hanging bodies, wrapped in black plastic bags and surrounded by signs saying “Caution” and “Danger”.

One father told Sky News: “I went in with my daughter.

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“The body bags were in the back and could not be seen from the cafe area, only by the children inside.

“When I saw them I was surprised – surely it can’t be what I think? I just didn’t want to have to explain to my son what they were.

“I spoke to a few other parents who were as shocked as I was that it had been deemed appropriate. It’s a great joke, but it shocked me a little!”

Despite these shocking decorations, Rugrats and Halfpints promises parents that it is “committed to providing a safe, clean and stimulating environment with an emphasis on fun.”

A spokesperson for the center told Sky: “This is the first time anyone has brought this to our attention, so of course because of this we will withdraw them immediately.

“It was not meant to cause distress and we apologize that this is how they felt.”

Charging parents between £5.75 and £11.75, the soft play center claims it offers “a range of different play and entertainment areas for your children to get stuck into whilst you enjoy our on-site cafe”.