A store manager whose boss removed gollies from their window display after complaints they caused offence has revealed they have sold out of the toys.

The black soft dolls were removed from show at HG Scadgell furniture store in Montague Street, Worthing, after a passer-by objected.

John Scadgell, the shop owner, said he had not intended to offend anyone and was surprised by the complaint.

But the furniture store, which has sold the dolls for 40 years, sold the remaining ten gollies within a day of the story appearing in The Argus.

The shop's bosses have now been forced to order more dolls to fulfil outstanding orders.

HG Scadgell manager Colin Howell described the fiasco as a "storm in a tea cup" and said staff had been inundated with support, including an email from a customer who now lives in Thailand.

He said: "The dolls were gone on the Saturday after the piece went in the newspaper. We didn't have that many but we only normally sell about two a week.

"We have had letters of support and customers have come in saying how ridiculous the whole thing has been.

"Everyone has shown support - I have not had one person come in who has disagreed with the sale of gollies."

Mr Scadgell removed the dolls from display after he heard about the complaint from graphic designer John Glover.

Mr Glover said: "I thought it was disgusting. I was just stunned. It's not acceptable in 2006."

Mr Scadgell said he had not intended to offend anyone and was surprised because it was the first complaint he had received in 40 years.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said it had no record of a complaint.

The Golly figure which adorned Robertson's jam jars for 91 years was sacked in 2001. Campaigners said it was racist and outdated.

Last month shop owner Donald Reynolds had three gollies seized by police from his shop in Bromyard, Herefordshire, under section 5 of the Public Order Act which makes it an offence to display anything which could be deemed as threatening, abusive or insulting.

The police decided against charging him and returned the dolls.