THE comic that introduced us to Lord Snooty, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids has caught up with the Asbo generation in a controversial new strip that lampoons Britain’s chav culture.

The Neds — a slobbish, work-shy family of ne’erdo-wells — are the latest addition to the pages of The Beano. The strip chronicles the misadventures of Ned and Nedette and their teenage children, Asbo and Chavette, who outrage their respectable neighbours by playing loud thumping music, shouting abuse and littering their garden with rubbish.

They are a far cry from the gentle anti-authority figures who have graced the pages of the comic since 1938 — such as Dennis the Menace, Roger the Dodger, Babyface Finlayson, and Little Plum — who, until recently, were more likely to be smacked on the bottom with a slipper than served with an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).

DC Thomson, the Dundee-based publishers of the comic, insist the strip is a harmless parody of modern Britain that will appeal to its new generation of young readers.

However, it has attracted the attention of Kathleen Marshall, the Scottish Childrens’ Commissioner, who has launched a debate on her website to gauge opinion. “Some people will have concerns about this comic strip. What I hear time and again from young people is that they really do resent being labelled or stigmatised as ‘neds’ or ‘chavs’,” she said.

“I have to ask young people what these terms mean to them and whether or not they are offensive.”

Her website states: “The family spent their time looking for ways to buy new tracksuits, bling and baseball caps, annoying the neighbours and avoiding hard work.

“It’s been suggested that this cartoon is a bit insulting to children and young people and their families, particularly those who choose to dress in baseball caps and tracksuits.

“Do you think it’s wrong to use words like ‘ned’ and ‘chav’ to describe young people?

“Does this give the wrong impression of what young people are really like — or is this all just a bit of harmless fun?”

Rosie Kane, the Scottish Socialist MSP memorably failed to get the term “ned” banned from use in the Scottish parliament. She complained: “To call young people neds, drug dealers, shoplifters or any other thing is a huge assumption. They are young people.” Baseball caps were recently banned from the easyInternetcafe chain in Glasgow and Edinburgh because of their association with ned culture.

Stewart Stevenson, justice spokesman for the SNP, said the Beano strip portrayed a “grotesque” and “damaging” caricature of modern Scotland.

“I am surprised that DC Thomson has chosen to address a subject such as this in a comic aimed at young children,” he said. “It serves to reinforce the image of parts of Scotland as being inhabited by individuals who are disengaged, unemployed and anti-social.

“It is sad that the Beano has chosen to introduce such a negative cartoon strip which highlights all that is depressing about Scotland when there is so much that is good in the country. It is deeply disappointing and I would have expected better. The Beano should return to its traditional family-friendly humour.”

The publishers admitted that they were bemused by the controversy. “We have had a very positive response to The Neds. We have received a number of e-mails from our readers saying how much they enjoyed it and as yet we haven’t had a single negative comment,” said a spokesman.

“Originally The Neds was going to be a one-off strip, but their popularity means we are now going to bring them back in the future. It is a bit of harmless fun and there was certainly no intention to offend anyone.

“A lot of the old favourite characters are still going strong in the comic, but it very important that we keep up with the times and remain relevant to our readers.”

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