Detail of a shop window selling seaside holiday trinkets including different sizes of racist dolls, on July 14 2017, at Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.
Detail of a store window selling seaside holiday trinkets including different sizes of racist dolls, on July 14 2017, at Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.
  • A pub just outside London has closed after it reignited a debate about Britain's racist history.
  • The dolls, historically known as "golliwogs," have long divided opinions in British society.
  • Insider has put together a brief history of the controversial figures.

A pub just outside London has been forced to close after it reignited a heated debate about one of Britain's most controversial toys and the nation's racist past.