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Paddington swear? Marks & Spencer Christmas advert raises eyebrows

Marks & Spencer has been forced to defend its Christmas advert starring Paddington Bear after complaints it contains bad language.

In the 90-second ad, Paddington And The Christmas Visitor, the duffle coat-wearing bear unwittingly thwarts a burglar stealing presents on Christmas Eve.

After forcing the thief to return the gifts, Paddington gives him a marmalade sandwich and receives a hug in return.

But the response he gets from actor Mark Benton has been heard by some viewers as less than polite.

Thirlwall 14 wrote on Instagram: "Something doesn't sound right in this new M&S advert."

Rob Souza tweeted: "I swear the burglar says "F*** you little bear" to @paddingtonbear."

As festive adverts jostle for attention, both on the screen and on social media, it is unlikely to be the sort of reaction the family-friendly retailer was hoping for.

But a Marks & Spencer spokesperson told Sky News: "He's saying, 'thank you little bear'. We think it's really clear. We wouldn't change the ad."

Vetran newsreader Angela Rippon also appears in the advert, with Paddington played by the actor who voices him in the current film, Ben Whishaw.

John Lewis' much-anticipated Christmas advert is yet to be released, but a mysterious Twitter account named @UnderTheBed2017 has tweeted a video of what looks like a cute animal's eyes peeping out from the darkness.