Topshop at centre of row over body image as 'shocking' skinny mannequin photo goes viral

Image has already been retweeted thousands of times, attracting huge interest

A Topshop model's legs (Becky Hoppen )

Topshop is at the centre of a row over body image after a photograph which compared the "shocking" skinniness of a mannequin to a "normal girl" in one of their stores went viral.

Becky Hopper photographed her friend Georgia Bibby – who is a UK size eight to ten – standing next to the model at the Topshop store in St Stephen’s shopping centre, Hull, two days ago.

“It was my friend who first pointed it out when we walked into the store,” Ms Hopper, who is currently studying history at Hull University, told The Independent.

“I was shocked. I’d never seen one so skinny before."

“I genuinely haven’t ever seen anyone that size,” Ms Hopper said, adding that Topshop still have not contacted either of the pair.

Although the picture was supposed to only attract the attention of their friends, Ms Hopper said they had been “overwhelmed” by the response with the post receiving more than 5,000 retweets – most of which has been positive.

However: “We’ve already got a lot of abuse online about this,” she said, claiming her friend Ms Bibby has been labelled “obese” by some social media users as others claim they are skinny shaming.

“It is absolutely not about that: it’s about the mannequin and how there isn’t a variety of shapes in the shops.”

Topshop did not respond to requests for comment.