A woman has started a petition against a high street store selling Playboy stationery in its Back to School section.

WH Smith, in Churchill Square, Brighton, is offering a wide range of products which bear the familiar bunny logo of the adult magazine empire.

The items include notepads, ring binders, pens, erasers and a Little Black Book to store addresses.

Corinna Edwards-Colledge, 33, of Park Crescent, Brighton, a health walks co-ordinator for Brighton and Hove City Council, says the brand is unsuitable for children and is gathering names of people who object to the range.

She said: "It is hypocritical and cynical to market an image connected with pornography to children.

"How can we as a society be up in arms about child porn and the child sex trade in other countries if we're saying it's okay to market this brand to kids?

"If an adult chooses to wear a Playboy image, that is their choice but children may not know what they are buying into."

The store's decision to stock the brand has caused nationwide controversy. Seven London schoolgirls picketed outside the Croydon branch of WH Smith last month when they realised it was selling the stationery.

Councillor Keith Taylor, Brighton and Hove Green Party leader, said he backed the petition to remove the items from the stores.

He said: "It's totally inappropriate that profit is being made from marketing this brand to young girls. The stationery should be taken off the shelves."

But mother-of-two Sally Quinlan, who was shopping in the store, said she would not object if her daughter wanted a Playboy pencil case. Mrs Quinlan, 38, from Hove, said: "They're pretty harmless considering all the other things kids are subjected to these days. There are far worse things to worry about."

WH Smith, which does not stock Playboy magazine itself, defended its decision to sell spin-off merchandise to children.

A spokeswoman for the store said: "We will be reviewing where we are displaying these items in the shop but we will not be taking them off the shelves. They are good sellers and are popular with girls."

Anyone who would like to add their name to Corinna's petition should email whsmithpetition@yahoo.co.uk