A DEPARTMENT store has cleared its shelves of a champagne-style drink aimed at children, following a complaint from a furious mother.

Fenwicks was stocking a fruit drink called Children's Bubbly next to the sweets counter in Newcastle.

Although it is alcohol free, the £2.99 bottle is designed to look like champagne.

Mother Heather Bell made an official complaint that it could encourage drinking among children.

She was amazed to find that 5p from every bottle sold goes to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital charity in London.

Mrs Bell, a businesswoman from Newcastle, said: "I was shocked when I saw this because I couldn't believe anyone would market this stuff at children under the age of ten.

"There has been a lot of publicity about alcopops being aimed at kids and here is a bubbly aimed at children.

"When I first saw it, I actually thought it was a fruit flavoured alcopop."

Each champagne-style bottle is covered in a wrapper showing balloons, birthday presents and a cake.

The bottle is topped with a sparkling foil wrapper concealing a real cork.

Fenwick spokeswoman Jill Wilson said: "It was never our intention to encourage underage drinking. However, in view of the concerns brought to our attention, we have immediately withdrawn the product from sale."

A Great Ormond Street Hospital spokeswoman said: "As the Portman Group, the alcohol industry's watchdog, has sanctioned this product, we are happy to endorse it.

"The product is clearly aimed at children and we believe it bears little resemblance to genuine champagne bottles. The fact that children might be interested in this product should not cause them to be interested in real champagne.

"This is an imitation of an adult product in the same way that you can get toy mobile phones."