The budget fashion store Primark has apologised for using a worryingly thin looking mannequin, with protruding ribs.

A customer, Mel Fraser, tweeted the store to ask if it was "really necessary" for their mannequins to have protruding ribs. The store's social media team responded quickly, stating that they would "look into" how the mannequin came on display, and the dummy was taken down shortly afterwards.

Mel Fraser, from Glasgow, wrote on Instagram that "I’d just like to see mannequins in all different shapes and sizes in all stores rather than young girls thinking this is the only way to be."

Her tweet to Primark, including a picture of the offending mannequin, was retweeted over 1,500 times, and several other Twitter users also rounded on the store, saying that it was "disgusting" and "shocking" that the popular high street shop was using mannequins which could promote an unhealthy body image.

Later, Primark replied to Mel Fraser to say that they are "currently changing our window displays" and that "the mannequins you describe will not be used in this way again." After it was removed, Mel wrote "Brilliant, suggestion to maybe get mannequins of different shapes and sizes, would really boost people's outlook on the store!"

This is not the first time a store has come under fire for using alarming mannequin sizes. In May, high-end underwear label La Perla faced a similar controversy after a customer tweeted a picture of a dummy with protruding ribs. Gap, Zara and Mango have also had to change mannequins in the past.

However, Debenhams last year started using plus size mannequins, to represent its customers more accurately.

Words: Victoria Gray, Images: Twitter/Rex Features