A father has called on Disney to recall a talking doll from its latest movie Inside Out after claiming the toy expresses 'suicidal thoughts'.

The cartoon - whose characters are the emotions in a young girl's mind - is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year for parents, with its release tomorrow timed to coincide with the school holidays.

But Andrew Smith, of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, fears a doll of one of the emotions, Sadness, could lead to children becoming depressed.

Andrew Smith fears the phrases used by the talking Sadness doll from the film Inside Out are too 'heavy'

The doll - one of five 'emotion' characters from the film - says: 'Goodbye friendship, hello loneliness'

Mr Smith, 34, bought the £15.95 talking toy for his 11-year-old daughter Regan at a Disney store.

But he was shocked to overhear the doll voicing what he says are 'suicidal comments' such as: 'Crying makes me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems.'

It also states: 'I'm in an emotional slump - my legs don't work. Give me an hour' and 'Goodbye friendship, hello loneliness.'

Psychology student Mr Smith branded the phrases 'toxic' and called on Disney to recall the toy from sale.

The father-of-two said: 'I wasn't terribly keen on her buying a doll called Sadness having spent the last year at uni doing psychology.

'I didn't think it was a terribly good idea for mental well-being but then I thought because it was Disney, what's the harm? It turned out I was very, very wrong.

'When we turned the doll on, it had some very generic phrases but also some absolutely crazy messages for young children.

'The doll speaks in a very slow, depressed, melancholic tone and myself and my partner sat listening to it and we thought "that's heavy, even for an adult".

'I think it is a really damaging message for young children, in particular pre-teens who maybe struggling with hormones anyway.

'To have something telling them their legs aren't working because they are in an emotional slump, it's almost putting a suggestion onto somebody that this could happen to them.'

Each of Mr Smith's two daughters bought one of the dolls, but he thinks the sadness one should be recalled

Sadness (far left) is one of five characters personifying the emotions inside a young girl's mind. The others are (left to right) Anger, Fear, Joy, and Disgust

Inside Out has been widely praised by critics, with the Daily Mail's Sarah Vine saying it is 'not just funny, clever, surprising, bonkers and multi-faceted' but also has 'a clear operational guide to the inner workings of... an 11-year-old child.'

The film is set in the mind of a young girl, Riley Andersen, where five personified emotions - Sadness, Joy, Disgust, Fear, and Anger - try to lead her through life when she moves to a new city.

Mr Smith says he is happy with the 'Disgust' doll he bought his other daughter, Darcie, six, but fears the Sadness doll is too much for young children.

After he contacted Disney, the company said they hoped seeing the film would give context to what the doll is saying.

A spokesman told him in an email: 'For our guests who have not yet experienced all the highs, lows, hilarity and love that our Inside Out characters bring to the big screen, it is worth sharing a synopsis of the storyline.

'Joy is a wonderfully upbeat character who sees the positive in everything.

'Along with her friends Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness, they set about on a huge adventure of discovery.

'Between them they must help a young girl reconnect with her parents and friends following a mishap in Headquarters.'

Disney told Mr Smith that the character is key to the film and the doll recites key phrases from the script

The spokesman added: 'At the end of the movie it is Sadness who saves the day. Sadness is pivotal to the happy memories that are created, as without her there can be no value to the feeling of joy.

'The qualities of her character enable the other emotions to exist, thus allowing the child to experience the full joy and wonderment of childhood.

'Using key script phrases and character voice, Disney Store has carefully recreated Sadness in the form of a doll which we hope children and adults alike will enjoy.

'I am sorry if this is not the case in your experience, and I do hope that this has addressed your concerns.'

Disney has yet to comment directly.

It comes after parents also expressed concern that Joy, the happy character, is portrayed as thin whereas Sadness is shown as fat.

Leading British child psychotherapist Dilys Daws said: 'It's a pity the sad character is also labelled as being fat, as that means that being fat is sad.