Television favourite Bob the Builder is to have his fingers doctored for the Japanese market - because he looks like a gangster.

In Japan the country's most feared mafia - the Yakuza - cut off their little fingers as a sign they can be trusted and have strength of character.

Bob's creators, Hit Entertainment, have also decided to give all merchandising of four-fingered Bob an extra digit so children will not be alarmed.

He is not the first animated character to be altered - in 1994 Postman Pat was considered too scary for export and got the same treatment.

'Too sensitive'

But Japanese journalist Chika Miyatake said she thought the cartoon creators were being too sensitive.

"If Japanese kids saw this cartoon with the character having four instead of five fingers then they might make a joke that he is in the mafia but they wouldn't be scared of it.



