A Plymouth father claims he's been the victim of a prank that sparked McDonald's into defending its Happy Meal Mario toy from an accusation that it looks like it's wanking.

Ban this sick filth.

UK newspapers including The Mirror picked up on a story about "a shocked father" who took the Mario toy away from his daughter because he believed it looked like it was performing a sex act.

25-year-old "Tyler Atfield" bought his three-year-old girl the lunch deal and she was given a Super Mario figure in the box, the reports said.

The Mario toy has a mechanical arm that moves up and down (skip to 2:25 in the video below for a look at Mario's hand movement in action). It's supposed to be holding a boomerang, but when it's removed a hole is left in Mario's hand, "with a suspicious grin on his moustachioed face as it goes up and down". That's an actual quote from The Mirror's story.

Tyler, reported as a motorbike mechanic and father-of-five from Plymouth, Devon, is quoted as saying: "I was very concerned because it looked completely inappropriate, I was not happy.

"They should not be giving out toys that look like that. My kids started doing the action and it was so wrong.

"I confiscated the toy and my daughter was upset, but without the boomerang, it doesn't look right."

Press went to McDonald's for comment. Amazingly, it responded. Here's the statement:

"Super Mario toys are a much loved part of our Happy Meal promotional range.

"This particular toy has been available across the world since 2014 without any complaints so we are surprised that Boomerang Mario has been misconstrued in this way.

"We hope the vast majority of our customers continue to enjoy the Team Mario range in the way the fun children's toys were intended."

Done and dusted? Not so. After seeing his name hit the headlines, the real Tyler Atfield contacted the Plymouth Herald to say the whole thing was a prank, and he had not complained about the toy.

"It's all a big practical joke that someone has played on me," he claimed.

"It couldn't be another Tyler Atfield because I am 25 and I have five kids and I live in St Budeaux.

"One of my mates text me telling me to Google it, and it was the top result.

"I don't have a clue who's done it. I just can't believe it, it's made me embarrassed to go out on the street to be honest."

The moral of the story: have better friends.