NEW parents in Malvern and surrounding areas have been urged to go green with the launch of a new children's shop.

Eco Tots, in Belle Vue Terrace, was started by a group of mothers who became frustrated at the lack of environmentally-friendly baby products on the market.

The launch, which was carried out yesterday by TV celebrity Adam Henson, who presents BBC1's Countryfile programme, coincides with Real Nappy Week.

As a result, Eco Tots will be offering its customers free trial packs of washable cotton nappies. It will also be hosting 'nappuccino' sessions at 11am on Tuesdays and 11am on Fridays, where the benefits of cotton nappies will be discussed over coffee.

"We hope that Eco Tots will be able to meet parents' needs and offer them healthier, natural products and fairly traded goods," said Ruth Kiely, one of the proprietors.

"The combination of products on offer means that parents will find something a little bit different for their child and at the same time can feel good about their purchases."

On sale is a mix of good quality second hand and new clothes, toys and equipment. All the new clothes are made from organic, fairly traded cotton. The toiletries, including Organic Babies' popular sunscreen (SPF22), all avoid synthetic chemical ingredients and petroleum-based products.

Even the layout of the shop is baby friendly, so customers will not have to struggle to manoeuvre a buggy or pushchair. The shop is also building into an information point, particularly for new Mums, where they can find out about activities and issues for babies and young children.

"So much of what is sold for babies doesn't actually do them any good, and in some cases could even be doing them harm," added Ruth.

"All the products for sale in Eco Tots avoid harsh synthetic chemicals - and what's more they work. We know because we use them on our own children.

"We've had a lot of positive feedback already, which is great. We have lots of plans to develop the shop and really hope that we can help babies grow up greener."