The signs directing shoppers to the pink sections for girls and blue section for boys have been removed and replaced with a plain white sign with red writing. The toy sections have been reorganised by type rather than along lines of which gender is expected to play with them.

Blogger Laura Nelson accused the famous toy chain of “gender apartheid” in October of this year, writing:

“Toys are segregated by gender and are even allocated separate floors – the girls’ floor is pink. It is filled with fluffy objects, beauty and hair related toys and play cookery sets. There is even a beauty salon called ‘Tantrum’.

“The boys floor is all about action and adventure. There are cars, trains, spaceships, science sets and construction toys.

“Deep-rooted in our society are stereotypes that dictate to women and men and influence them on the roles in society that they are expected to fill.

“The toys that children are exposed to play a major part in this. From birth, boys and girls are bombarded with stereotypes; boys are allowed to be more aggressive and climb trees, while girls are encouraged to be passive and play with plastic teapots.”

Nelson wrote to Hamley’s chief executive Gudjon Reynisson asking for the displays to be reorganised, and cited cases in her support, such as the fact that Marks and Spencers are now listing astronomy toys in both their girls and boys sections.

Hamleys though denies that her campaign had played any part in their decision to reorganise the store’s toy sections and that it was merely done in order to “improve customer flow”.