Playgroup’s summer fundraiser thrown into chaos after Peppa Pig detained at customs

A playgroup’s summer fundraiser has been thrown into chaos after Peppa Pig was detained at customs. The much-loved children’s TV character was set to play a starring role at Priory Park Playgroup’s Summer Fair fundraiser, in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, due to be held on June 28. But the costume was detained when it arrived in the UK because it violated intellectual property rights.



Kelly Holmes, fundraising manager on the committee of the playgroup spent £210 on the costume. She said: “I thought I’d probably have to dress up and a few of us were going to take it in turns but we needed a costume so I bought one on eBay. It said official Peppa Pig and it was more expensive than the others. It said it was available in the UK and it had good ratings.” In fact it came from China and was confiscated on arrival in the UK.

“The border force wrote to me saying Peppa Pig’s been detained at customs,” the 35-year-old said, “They confirmed it should be destroyed. Obviously I was very upset for the children. We’d already advertised that Peppa Pig was coming.” The loss of the costume is a set-back for the group who rely on their summer fundraisers to buy “the little extra’s that the children enjoy”. Kelly hopes to get the money back from the seller through eBay after raising the issue, but the main priority now is to rescue the Summer Fair.



Kelly, whose daughter goes to the playgroup, added: “This money really makes a difference so we’re appealing to people to help us now. We’re hoping Peppa can still be there in some form and if not then another mascot.” When the Intellectual Property Office at the Department of Business Innovation and Skills were contacted to try and find out what had happened to Peppa Pig, a spokesman said they couldn’t comment on individual cases.