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Aldi has reportedly painted over the skirts in the parent-child parking bays to avoid offending non-binary shoppers.

A mother has blasted the Bedfordshire supermarket's 'ridiculous' decision to cover up the stick person's skirt - which has attracted thousands of comments online.

Ema Taylor, 29, popped into her local store with her three children on Tuesday to pick up some groceries.

But when she pulled into the car park she was unable to stop in one vacant parent and child bay as work was being carried out.

According to the mum, the skirt on the stick woman was being painted over to ensure the figure was gender neutral.

The mum-of-three quipped that the spot is now only suitable for Superman as the figure appears to be sporting a cape thanks to the black paint being added.

Her post slamming the move as 'ridiculous' went viral on Facebook where it amassed more than 8,000 likes and shares.

(Image: Google/ Kennedy News and Media)

Ema, from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, said: "It's ridiculous. It's gone from being a stick woman to now being a superhero, it's a bit laughable.

"Mums do actually have to give birth to these children so I think I've earned my right to have a picture of me painted in the mother and baby parking space.

"With everything going on in the world who has time to care about a sign on the floor? There's so much more important stuff going on in the world than to be concerned with this kind of thing."

Hospital worker Ema was initially concerned that the parent and child bay spaces were being reduced in number.

(Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Yet upon asking she claims she was reassured by a worker that the figures were simply being adapted to feature gender neutral figures.

Ema said: "I was just popping in for some fruit as they have the best variety. I go in every single day as we go through so much.

"There were two guys standing in front of bays they had just painted. I asked if they were taking the spaces away and when he told me why they were doing it I thought he was joking at first.

"With everything going on who has the time to care about a sign on the floor?

"He said they needed to be gender neutral as the dress is offending dads with children and people who don't identify as male or female.

(Image: Kennedy News and Media)

"Now it looks like a man with a superhero suit - do people identify as a superhero?

"He thought it was hilarious too but said he was just following instructions.

"There were lots of people whispering and laughing especially when the dress had been painted over because it does look like quite funny.

"Apparently you can only park here now if you are a superhero."

Ema was eventually allowed to park in another space that had been painted earlier but was dry.

(Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Aldi shopper Ema argued that changes like this should have been made when the store was shut down for refurbishment at the end of last year.

Ema said: "That particular Aldi was closed down for refurbishment late last year.

"All that car parking area is brand new so it must have been a pretty recent issue raised as it was only re-opened in November after being shut roughly for a month.

"Why they didn't paint them as stick people in the beginning? I don't understand.

"Everybody knows these spaces are for parents with children, it doesn't have to be mums.

"It's just typically always been the mother and baby sign but it doesn't mean if you're a dad you can't park there, it's just ridiculous."

(Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Her Facebook post reads: "The world has literally gone MAD!!

"So went to the shop today to be told I couldn't park in the parent space as they were painting it........painting the dress off the stick person because they need to be 'gender neutral' as the dress is offending dads with children and people who do not identify as male or female?!

"REALLLYYYYYY!!

"If you are a dad and you don't park in the parent parking because they have a dress on unfriend me pleasseeeeee!! It's a joke!"

"Second to that if you look at the new and 'improved' sign you will see that it now looks like a stick man with a cape on so if you don't identify as Superman you can't park there."

People commenting on the post claimed whoever commissioned the change was 'overthinking it' and could have avoided needing to spruce the spot up by simply using an image of a pram.

(Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Vickie Shepherd Worlding commented: "All this cr*p has just gone too far it's actually ridiculous our future generations are going to be so god damm confused it's a bloody sign on the floor get over yrselves bloody snowflakes xx"

Bethany Louise Sayers wrote: "WOW WOW WOW. You really do question what you're bringing your children into don't you."

Becki Jenner posted: "So really we can't win male or female they should just use a pushchair sign like they do with a wheel chair did they not think of that xx"

At present, it is not clear who is behind the decision to paint over the stick figure's skirt.

ParkingEye, who manage most of Aldi's car parks, claimed that they were not behind the painting change.

Aldi have been approached for comment.