A WASHING powder manufacturer has defended its risque packaging which has caused a few raised eyebrows in the region's supermarkets.

But despite concern among customers, the makers of Surf has stood by its new-look product.

Lever Faberge has just launched its Surf 99 which the company claims will remove the 99 top stains voted for by its customers.

But some shoppers in the region have raised objections to the list of stains printed on the back of the box.

Alongside beetroot, strawberry jam and mushy peas, the list of stains includes mucus, "fag ash", "baby wee", "bird poo" - and semen.

The plain speaking has upset some shoppers who were also concerned about the illustrations on the box.

These include a man wearing lipstick-covered boxer shorts holding his groin, a woman drinking red wine with the caption "sexy" and a woman who has dripped jam on her top.

One Darlington shopper said: "It is a bit much really. These are not the sort of things you want to see when you are shopping in the supermarket.

"I know it's only meant to be a bit of fun but is it really necessary?"

Yesterday, a spokesman for Lever Faberge defended the packaging and said the company had not directly received any complaints since it was first launched in July.

He said: "Of course we did not mean to cause any offence to people but the list is made up of 99 things that our customers have told us are the most common stains."

"All we have done is give these stains their proper names which we would hope would not cause offence."