Many parents have been passing up classic fairytales in favour of modern stories amid concerns the old tales were frightening for children.

In a poll of 2,000 parents conducted ahead of the UK debut of American TV drama Grimm, based on the classic tales, one in five parents admitted they preferred contemporary stories, such as The Gruffalo or The Hungry Caterpillar.

Almost 50 per cent of respondents said they would not read such stories as Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel to their kids because of themes of kidnapping and execution.

Perhaps more striking was the revelation a large portion of parents felt Goldilocks and the Three Bears was an inappropriate tale as it concerns stealing, while Cinderella was out of favour for reinforcing gender stereotypes with the protagonist spending her days doing housework.

General manager of Watch, the network behind Grimm, Steve Hornsey said: “As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five-year-old with an over active imagination could take things too literally.”

Starring David Giuntoli and Russell Hornsby, Grimm re-imagines classic tales through the eyes of Portland detective Nick Burkhardt, who develops a sense for the supernatural.

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