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Hindley portrait use criticised | Hindley portrait use criticised |
(30 minutes later) | |
London Mayor Boris Johnson has criticised the use of a portrait of murderer Myra Hindley in a video shown at a London 2012 event in Beijing. | London Mayor Boris Johnson has criticised the use of a portrait of murderer Myra Hindley in a video shown at a London 2012 event in Beijing. |
The image was shown during promotional footage produced by Visit London, not the 2012 organisers. | |
A spokesman for Mr Johnson told the BBC the mayor was "deeply disturbed" the image had been shown. A Downing Street spokesman said it was in "poor taste". | |
Visit London said the image appeared fleetingly and had been shown before. | |
The Liberal Democrats described the decision to include the image in the video, which was shown to promote the capital's culture ahead of the 2012 Games, as a "regrettable choice". | |
The party's Olympics spokesman Tom Brake said: "Of all the many masterpieces that could have been used this was the most regrettable and the least inspired choice." | |
'Extraordinary decision' | |
Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe told the BBC she was shocked by the use of the image. | |
"I do find it utterly extraordinary that if we're trying to promote Britain, we should do so with an image of an mass child murder. | |
"Somebody somewhere has taken an extraordinary decision that I don't think brings any credit on the country at all." | |
In a statement, Visit London said the Myra Hindley artwork by Marcus Harvey appeared "fleetingly" in the three-minute video of London. | |
It continued: "The video is not for general public use and has been used many times over the last few years to show to the tourism trade. | |
"There has never been a complaint made about the video up until this point. | "There has never been a complaint made about the video up until this point. |
"However, if any offence has been caused, we will withdraw it from use with immediate effect." | "However, if any offence has been caused, we will withdraw it from use with immediate effect." |
The painting is made from children's handprints and was vandalised while on display in the Royal Academy in 1997. | The painting is made from children's handprints and was vandalised while on display in the Royal Academy in 1997. |