Ananova :

An action man-style doll of Tony Blair is being dramatically outsold by the Osama bin Laden figure.

The plastic Prime Minister, complete with fixed grin, ruffled hair and dressed in an army uniform, has not sold a single model in its first six weeks on offer.

By contrast, sales of the bin Laden doll on US-based Internet site herobuilders.com are already approaching 5,000.

Creator Emil Vicale said the Prime Minister's apparent unpopularity was because until this week there were no pictures of the £18.70 "Tony the Ally" model published on the website.

Meanwhile, the bin Laden doll, dubbed a "villain action figure", is almost always sold with the George "make no mistake about it" Bush model.

"We love Blair in America and I'm sure now buyers can see what they're getting they'll snap him up," said Mr Vicale.

The idea to produce Blair, Bush and Rudy "the Rock" Giuliani dolls, all dressed in soldiers' outfits, was developed a few weeks after the September 11 terror attacks, he said.

"These three guys saved the world that day. I thought, why give kids an action man when they could have real heroes to play with?"

Only after constant demands from consumers did he decide to add the bin Laden model, which is available in a pink tutu and matching handbag or in a smaller size so he can fit in the clenched fist of the hero dolls.

"I'm still a little uneasy about Osama, but people were desperate to have the villain to go with the hero," Mr Vicale said.

Story filed: 05:06 Tuesday 16th April 2002

Business quirkies
Osama bin Laden
Tony Blair