Winnie the Pooh reportedly blocked from Polish playground over 'hermaphrodite' concerns

Winnie the Pooh may have delighted children for decades but the beloved bear's hopes of becoming the new face of a Polish playground have reportedly ended because of concerns over his "dubious sexuality".

Councillors choosing a figurehead for their local children's play area expressed deep concern over the classic character's lack of underpants and branded his creator A.A. Milne "very disturbing" for presenting the bear without genitalia.

According to the Croatian Times, which quotes the representatives from a secret recording leaked to local press, one councillor even claimed Pooh was a "hermaphrodite".

The animated discussion, which is said to have taken place in the central Polish town of Tuszyn, reportedly sparked amid concerns over Pooh's limited attire.

The suggestion that Pooh was a hermaphrodite came despite the apparently shared belief that the family favourite did not have any sexual organs, rather than possessing both male and female organs.

A.A. Milne introduced Pooh in 1926 as an anthropomorphic bear, clearly separate from human beings.