Book chain moves 'racist' Tintin

Tintin was created by Belgian writer and illustrator Herge

US bookstore chain Borders will not stock copies of a Tintin adventure story in its children's section over concerns about its "racist" content.

Stores in the UK recently said Tintin in the Congo would be moved to the adult section after the Commission for Racial Equality called for a total ban.

In a statement, Borders said it thought customers could "make their own decision whether to read it or not".

The book, written by Belgian author Herge, was first published in 1931.

'Old-fashioned'

"Borders is committed to carrying a wide range of materials and supporting our customers' right to choose what to read and what to buy," Borders said.

"That said, we also are committed to acting responsibly as a retailer and with sensitivity to all of the communities we serve."

The book's publishers, Egmont, said the book comes with a warning that it features "bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period - an interpretation some readers may find offensive".

The Tintin adventures were written by Herge - real name Georges Prosper Remi - from 1929 until his death in 1983.

He continued to revise his books after their publication, and admitted embarrassment over some of the views they expressed.

A scene in Tintin in the Congo in which the eponymous hero gave a geography lesson to Africans about Belgium was later changed to a maths class.