A visitor to Norfolk has spoken of his shock at seeing golliwog dolls on sale at a coastal cafe.
But the manager of the Old Manor Cafe on Manor Road, Caister, has defended his decision to sell the dolls, which were once popular in Britain but are now widely considered racist.
The cafe customer, who did not wish to be named, said: "We recently dropped in for a bite to eat and were shocked to find these openly on show and available for purchase.
"These racially stereotypical caricatures have been morally unacceptable in this country for years. But not in Norfolk, it would appear.
"They are racially divisive and antisocial."
When asked about his decision to display the offensive figures for sale, the manager - who did not wish to be named - said: "For starters, they're called gollies.
"But it's OK for people to complain about them. It is their right.
"But people aren't complaining about the other things I have on display. They're not seeing the whole picture."
The golliwog became a popular character in Britain, especially in the 1970s. British jam and marmalade manufacturer Robertson's used the golliwog as its trademark symbol and sold badges, ceramics, games for children, and even clothing adorned with the likeness of the black and white minstrel caricature.
But Robertson's stopped using the golly character in 2002.
Having the appearance of jet-black skin, big lips and big white teeth, golliwogs have been used to dehumanise black people. Last year, two Metropolitan police officers were sacked after making offensive jokes about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, including one comparing Meghan to a golliwog toy.
As well as golliwogs, the cafe contains shelves featuring figurines including Betty Boop and Great Yarmouth fishermen.
While the manager said no customer has complained to him personally, two other customers complained to another staff member last year and later called the police about the figures.
The manager said: "The people went home, visited their local police station, who told headquarters, who told Great Yarmouth police, who then told Flegg police.
"Four police forces were involved, all because someone didn’t want to say anything to me."
The manager said the souvenir remains popular with some of his customers, and he sells "hundreds of them".
The manager added: "I sold 12 of them to a black bloke from Brixton, and he superglued them all to his dashboard. He loved them."
Inside the cafe on Friday morning, several customers - who also did not want to be named - began a discussion about the sale of the figures and whether they were offensive.
One customer said: "If someone is offended by it, they should be able to say that they’re offended.
"I appreciate these things are not pleasant and outdated. I personally wouldn't have them out, and I would challenge anyone being racist.
"But to say they're a hate crime, I think that is disrespectful to real hate crimes where people are really suffering because of the colour of their skin or religion.
"Gollies will fade away sooner or later. But forcing people to get rid of them is focusing on the wrong things. There are other forms of upset and inequality that people experience that have greater significance."
Another customer said that "some people just want to cause trouble".
Last week in Grays, Essex, five police officers seized a collection of golliwog dolls from the White Hart Inn pub as part of an investigation into an allegation of hate crime reported on February 24.
While the pub owner defends displaying the dolls as not being racist, the Campaign For Real Ales (CAMRA) has banned the pub from receiving awards or being in its beer guides.
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