Freak Show

Marks & Spencer has changed the name of its Midget Gems sweets to avoid offending people with dwarfism after a campaign by a Liverpool academic.

Dr Erin Pritchard, a lecturer in disability studies at Liverpool Hope University, argued The Word midget was a form of hate speech.

M& S has now rebranded the popular gelatine treats as Mini Gems.

A spokeswoman said The Store was " committed to being an inclusive retailer".

Dr Pritchard, who has achondroplasia, a condition which stunts growth, approached supermarkets and confectionery makers about changing the name of the sweet, raising her concerns that the use of The Word " midget" had its roots in Victorian freak shows.

She wrote in Big Issue North: " Often referred to by people with dwarfism as the m-word, it is a term derived from The Word midge, meaning gnat or sandfly.

" Its origin automatically dehumanises people Like Me . It was a term popularised during the Victorian Freak Show , where many disabled people, including people with dwarfism, were oppressed and exploited. "

M& S is The First retailer to react to Dr Pritchard's campaign and has changed the labelling on its packaging.

An M& S spokeswoman said: " Following suggestions from our colleagues and the insights shared by Dr Erin Pritchard, we introduced new Mini Gem packaging Last Year , which has since been rolled out to all of our stores. "

Tesco has also said it will be reviewing the name of its product.

A spokesman for the supermarket said: " We Are a diverse and inclusive retailer and we would not want any of our products to cause offence.

" We Are grateful to Dr Pritchard for bringing this to our attention. "

Source of news: bbc.com