Scientists have the ‘dirt’ on those cute little yellow duckies your kids like to play with during bath time.

As some parents have long suspected, the squishy toys are a haven for bacteria.

Swiss and American researchers say the water inside four out of five toys studied, contained “potentially pathogenic bacteria”.

The bacteria were of two types found in hospital-acquired infections.

Researchers say using higher quality molecules to make the ducks could prevent bacterial and fungal growth.