CLINTON Cards has apologised over a card listing 10 reason why Santa Claus "must live on a council estate"
Available online, it featured a picture of a tower block and Father Christmas and reasons including: "He has a serial record for breaking and entering" and "he only works once a year".
Both Labour candidates for Thurrock and South Basildon and East Thurrock have slammed Clinton Cards.
Mike Le-Surf said: "Clinton Cards are right to apologise and it looks like they have made a seasonal error that Gerald Ratner would have been proud of.
"I use Clinton Cards regularly and by sending a hugely disrespectful and stereotypical message to people who may be offended, and probably make up a good proportion of their customer base, they could be feeling this one in their Christmas receipts.
"Time will tell. The real test for these types of "humorous" cards is whether they are funny or not. This one clearly isn’t."
Polly Billington added: Clinton cards should know better than to have ever put this insulting card on sale. The person who designed it should hang their head in shame.
"Demonising people for where they live isn’t big or clever and linking council homes with fecklessness is just plain wrong. At this time of year a bit of human kindness is especially welcome, when you think how many working families wherever they live will be struggling with the cost of Christmas. Perhaps Clintons has forgotten what Christmas is all about?
"People setting out for a hard days work from their council homes will be pretty insulted by this card. Clintons should remember people on council estates have buying power too. Insulting your own customers is a pretty daft thing to do".
Clinton Cards has said that the card had been withdrawn.
A spokesperson said: "It is in no way reflective of our views and we apologise without reservation,"
"We are investigating how this offensive card got through our quality control procedures, which we will review and tighten as a result of this incident.
"This was a mistake and we deeply regret the upset that this has clearly caused."
