Parents have complained that t-shirts featuring a character from the blockbuster movie Frozen are a bad influence on their children because she appears to be making an offensive gesture.

They say that the £9.99 tops, which are for sale through H&M, show Elsa apparently making a V-sign, and are calling for the chain to pull the t-shirts because they say their children are copying the pose.

The Disney character features on millions of items of merchandise, including clothes and stationery, and is supposed to be making snowflakes with her special powers.

V-sign? Parents have complained that the Elsa character is making an offensive gesture on the H&M t-shirt

The t-shirts are for sale in a pack of two in H&M stores and online - the fashion store would not comment today

The £9.99 long-sleeved t-shirts are currently on sale in high street clothes store H&M and on their website.

Mother of two Jacqui Williams, 40, from Warwick, said: 'I waited ages to get my hands on an Elsa top for my daughter Daisy but when she put it on I was shocked.

'From almost every angle you look at the t-shirt, Elsa is doing a V-sign. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but it is unfortunate.

'I didn't mind at first but then I saw Daisy copying the pose with her friends. I had to tell them to stop doing it because if they do it at school they might get into trouble.

'I've written to H&M raising my concerns but I haven't heard anything back yet.'

Parents have also expressed their worries about the T-shirt online.

On Mumsnet user Kathan16 said: 'I took my four-yr-old daughter to her friend's birthday party at the wkend and was shocked when all the kids were given Frozen T-shirts from H&M which made it look like Elsa was doing a rude v-sign.

'I wouldn't have minded but some of the kids started copying the pose and soon the room was full of kids flicking the Vs to their parents.'

Elsa is the heroine in Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, which also won two Oscars

Twitter user JoJo4 in Los Angeles added: 'Elsa seriously got bad, swearing at fans. That's cold. Let it go girl.'

Disney would not comment today, but a spokesman for H&M said there were no plans to remove the top from shelves.

They said: 'This is the first we have heard about this T-shirt upsetting anyone. It is a shame if it has caused offence.

'Clearly the character is holding her hand in that way in order to create a sparkly snowflake.'

Frozen, based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, overtook Toy Story 3 in March to become the highest grossing animated film of all time, raking in £644.5million at the box office.

It was in the UK box office top 10 for more than three months and now ranks as the 10th highest grossing film in cinema history.