SWEDES are stereotypically thought as fun loving, easy going, laissez-faire sorts, but they have got very hot under the proverbial collar about a bear mascot from Newport.

To be precise, he’s the Tiny Rebel bear who adorns all of the Newport brewery’s bottles of beer.

But the tatty one-eyed toy who is the standard bearer for the Maesglas company isn’t going to be seen in the bars of Stockholm any time soon after falling foul of strict Swedish government branding chiefs.

Co-founders Bradley Cummings, 26 and Gareth Williams 31, received an e-mail yesterday from the government department that deals with alcohol marketing saying that one of their beers, Fubar, would have to change its bottle art or the beer could not be sold there as it has a grenade on the motif.

The e-mail came from the Systembolaget, a national monopoly which sells beer in the country backed and acting strictly upon guidelines from the Swedish government. They said that Tiny Rebel's branding did not fit in with those government guidelines.

Mr Cummings explained: "The system they have over there is very different to what we have here. Every beer has to be registered with the national ‘Systembolaget’ which is a network of 420 beer shops all over the country.

"You can only sell beer in supermarkets which is under 3 per cent there, so the only other place you can get it is these beer shops.

"They didn’t like Fubar because there’s a grenade on the bottle so, for now, Sweden that one won’t be going,” he said.

Mr Cummings added they would see how their other beers sold and see whether it would be worth censoring Fubar, which was the overall silver medal winner at the Great Welsh Beer Fetsival 2013, to get it out to Sweden in the future.

Still chance to win Tiny Rebel beer

Sweden’s loss is Gwent’s gain though as you can still win a case of the now Swedish contraband Fubar in our competition.

Simply tell us which Tiny Rebel Beer won the Champion Beer of Wales 2013 title.

Send your answer, name and address on a postcard to Tiny Rebel Competition, Editor’s PA, South Wales Argus, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP20 3QN or you can enter by text.

Start your message with TINYREBEL leave a space and then send your answer, name, address and telephone contact details to 80360.

Messages cost 50p plus your normal operator charge. Service provided by Newsquest Media Group. Terms and Conditions at www.southwalesargus.co.uk/competitions

Closing date: August 18.