A TOY mouse supposed to sing “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way” was recalled by its Ferndown distributors after claims that it sang “paedophile, paedophile, paedos all the way” instead.

The cheery looking Chinese-made mouse, dressed in a Santa hat, costing £2.99 and distributed by Humatt, which is based on the Ferndown industrial estate, was bought by a Dorset mum who was horrified by what it appeared to be singing.

The company said that the effect was due to the song being speeded up but had recalled the product to avoid offence.

The Daily Echo took the four inch high mouse on to the streets of Bournemouth and found shoppers were bemused at first by the strange rendition but then recognised the dodgy tune when it was pointed out.

Peter Jones, 66, a photographer from Westbourne, said: “Yeah! The first verse definitely says it! I couldn’t tell what it was saying at first. It sounded awful.”

Adrian Williams, 26, an IT worker from Bournemouth, said: “It sounds a lot more like paedophiles than jingle bells.”

This is the third year the firm has imported the toy and it investigated after receiving a complaint in November.

A spokesman said: “This was fully investigated and checked with our manufacturer in the Far East. “As a precaution we even had the song slowed down and clearly and without any element of doubt the wording is correct and as it should be.

“As a precaution the customer in question asked to withdraw the item and in line with our policy of good customer relations we agreed.”