The Sindy doll is back on sale in the UK after an almost 10-year absence and with a healthy new body shape.

Sindy, who claimed 80% of the fashion doll market at her peak in 1985 after she was launched as a more demure rival to the glamorous American Barbie, has been given a makeover by Tesco, which has licensed the brand from Exeter-based owner and creator Pedigree Toys.

She is now seven inches taller, but her once long and skinny legs and arms have been remodelled into a more realistic body shape likely to meet approval from parents.

The £19.95 doll sports 11 "on-trend" outfits created by Tesco's own fashion designers, boasts an extensive shoe and accessories collection and has three friends - Zoe, Kate and Laura.

Some 150 million Sindy dolls were sold around the world before she disappeared from the High Street when Woolworths went under in 2009.

Over her lifetime she wore a Mary Quant bob and rode a moped and a pony, in comparison to Barbie who had a telephone, drove a car and once worked as an astronaut.

Originally designed to be a distinctly British alternative to Barbie, she was first remodelled in the 1970s and later gained a new face and brighter smile before undergoing a supermodel-style body overhaul.

Mattel recently revealed new shapes for its Barbie doll, including petite and curvy, to widespread approval.

Tesco head toy buyer Dawn Lavalette said: "Sindy stood out from other dolls and her captivating, angelic look made her popular all over the world.

"Now we've restored her beautiful and unique look and worked with our own top fashion designers to come up with a dazzling new range of clothes.

"We also think that many mums out there who were fans of the original doll themselves will secretly want one too."

Pedigree Toys head of licensing Matthew Reynolds said: "Sindy's always stood for the girl-next-door, wholesome image. Very much the proper look of that was in her classic sculpt of the 60s and 70s.

"That's very much what we wanted to go back to."