Love & Hip Hop star Kimbella blasted for 'inappropriate' bikini photo of young daughter on Instagram

It was intended to be an innocent photo but Love & Hip Hop star Kimbella has been heavily criticised for sharing a photo of her young daughter dressed in a bikini.

In the image, which endorses a swimwear brand, the former VH1 reality star wears a silver swimsuit while her three-year-old daughter Bella Monroe James dons a similar two-piece bikini version.

Juelz Santana's girlfriend captioned the photo: "Don't we look cute & ready to show out in our matching swimsuits?!"

However, the model's followers were outraged by the image with many deeming it "inappropriate" that Bella is seen wearing less clothes than her mother and also appears to be pulling down her bikini bottoms.

One user commented: "I don't think you should let her uh.. Pull her bottoms down like that, I mean it's cute she's just a baby but there's perverts out here and you're more covered up than she is."

Another weighed in: "Please we must do better for children by protecting them..this pic is wrong in all levels, check her # under the pic you can clearly see she her self know the pic is wrong but she is too fame hungry to care [sic]."

Referring to Bella pulling down her bottoms, another Instagram user said: "She probably was just tugging at her clothes but I'd never post that for social media."

While reactions have mostly condemned Kimbella, 32, a small group have supported the model with one user commenting: "Not the best picture but I don't see anything wrong. Ppl be to involved in others life it's her daughter and she could do what she likes [sic]."

Another supporter said: "Very cute I don't see anything wrong with it," while one other user commented: "You guys probably don't know if it was a quick pick or if she didn't even look at it y'all so quick to judge."

Kimbella is yet to respond to the backlash. The model shares two children with longtime boyfriend Santana and has another child from a previous relationship.