A Cadbury’s outlet is facing backlash from the Christian community after it promoted chocolate “gesture eggs” during the Easter period.

The “gesture eggs” were advertised as part of a two-for-one promotion at an independently run store in Spalding, Lincolnshire. They are also on sale in Cheshire Oaks on the Wirral, and Alfreton in Derbyshire.

Christian campaigners have said the move by the chocolate company is “erasing” Easter and abandoning its own “Christian roots.”

Responding to the removal of Easter from the Cadbury’s eggs, Tim Dieppe, head of public policy for Christian Concern said: "Easter eggs symbolise the resurrection – just as Jesus rose again from the tomb, new life emerges from eggshells.

"Without the message of Easter there would be no reason for Easter eggs."

Speaking to Premier Christian News, Affinity church leader Graham Nicholls said the move contributes to a narrative of "lets not offend anyone and get the maximum commercial benefit by de-Christianising the festival, but get the best out of the festival commercially.

"Here's a surge market of chocolate buying, we don't want to lose that but we don't want to associate it anymore with Easter."

This is not the first time concerns have been raised over the removal of Christian symbolism from the religious holiday.

Iceland has recently faced criticism after trialling a hot cross bun featuring a tick instead of the traditional cross. The move left the supermarket facing accusations of disrespecting Christians and the Christian symbol of the cross.

Iceland stated at the time that it would not be replacing or removing the cross from the product.

A spokesperson for Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury have assured customers that all Cadbury Easter shell eggs sold in the UK reference Easter “very clearly on the packaging”.

The company has also stated that the word Easter has been used within the company’s marketing for over 100 years and continues to do so.