Residents of a Chicago suburb are angry and confused after a store opened selling diapers, soothers, cribs and rocking horses designed specifically for adults.

The shop, Tykables, in Mount Prospect caters for diaper fetishists and has a seven-foot crib, an oversized high chair and adult-sized playpen.

Owner John-Michael Williams said some of his customers needed adult diapers for medical needs but many others were 'Adult Baby Diaper Lovers'.

Owner John-Michael Williams in front of a stack of adult diapers. He says most of his sales are online but he thought the store would be good for those people who 'don't have access to a nursery' of their own

Diaper fetishism is closely related to paraphilic infantilism, also known as autonepiophilia, in which adults are sexually aroused by the idea of being a baby.

Mr Williams told WGNTV: 'The biggest concerns come from people who don't understand our business and what we do.'

Resident Greg Suarez said: 'It's really weird, especially for this area, when I found about it it was just kind of a shock, I didn't know people like that stuff.'

The store has an adult-sized rocking horse (left) and a giant playpen (right, behind owner John-Michael Williams)

Mr Williams in front of the 7ft tall crib. The town's mayor says there is nothing illegal about the products on sale in the store

Resident Greg Suarez said: 'It's really weird, especially for this area, when I found about it it was just kind of a shock, I didn't know people like that stuff.'

But Mount Prospect's mayor says it is not breaking any laws.

Arlene Juracek said: 'When you look at the codes and all the definitions, there's nothing pornographic about it, there's nothing that would violate any sense of decency.'

Mr Williams said most of his business is done online but he said the shop was designed for 'people to come and play, take pictures with. Not everybody has access to a nursery.'

Many residents expressed their outrage at a public meeting.

Brandon Richards said: 'It's hard for us to swallow in this community. This is not the community that I moved to.'

But another resident told the meeting: 'They're not having sex with their diapers on, they're having people feed them and act like a baby.'

Mrs Juracek told the public meeting: 'In addition to the parental concerns many of you have expressed, what we have here is quite personally one of a mayor's worst nightmares.'

Adults wanting to play as babies isn't harming anyone. And if that sexually arouses them it's okay Tyomi Morgan

Chicago-based sexuality coach Tyomi Morgan told Mail Online diaper fetishists were not pedophiles and had no truck with child molesters.

She said: 'These fetish players are not aroused by the idea of having sex with children. They are aroused by the idea of playing as children, wearing the clothing, being treated like babies. This desire hurts no one.

'This is the cardinal rule about sexual expression: any expression is okay as long as it doesn't harm yourself or anyone else.

'Adults wanting to play as babies isn't harming anyone. And if that sexually arouses them it's okay.