The DGCCRF watchdog said in a statement that the "description and categorisation" of the items on Shein's website "make it difficult to doubt the child pornography nature of the content".

Shortly after the statement, Shein announced that the dolls in question had been withdrawn from its platform and that it had launched an internal inquiry.

The news comes in the wake of Shein's announcement in October that it intended to set up shop in a prestigious department store in central Paris -- its first physical outlet.

That decision provoked outrage among other clients of the up-market store, BHV Marais, with some including top fashion brands pulling their products from its shelves.