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2012 Hindley image use condemned | |
(40 minutes later) | |
Downing Street and the mayor of London have condemned the use of a portrait of murderer Myra Hindley in a video shown at a London 2012 event in Beijing. | |
The painting was shown in promotional footage produced by Visit London, not the 2012 organisers. | |
A spokesman for Boris Johnson said 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. | Visit London said the image appeared fleetingly and had been shown before. |
The tourism body's video was shown at a party attended by Gordon Brown and Mr Johnson at the Chinese capital's London House to promote London's culture ahead of the 2012 Games. | |
The mayor is deeply concerned by the realisation that a shot of Myra Hindley was shown in a short video... and asked that it not be shown again Spokesman for Boris Johnson | |
Marcus Harvey's portrait of Hindley was one of a number of pieces of art seen in the footage filmed in a gallery. | |
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The use of this image is in extremely poor taste and it should not have been used to promote London." | |
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: "The mayor is deeply concerned by the realisation that a shot of Myra Hindley was shown in a short video at London House and asked that it not be shown again." | |
The Liberal Democrats described the decision to include the image in the video 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." | 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' | 'Extraordinary decision' |
Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe told the BBC she was shocked by the use of the image. | 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. | "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." | "Somebody somewhere has taken an extraordinary decision that I don't think brings any credit on the country at all." |
There has never been a complaint made about the video up until this point Visit London | |
In a statement, Visit London said Harvey's Hindley artwork appeared only "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. | 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, made from children's handprints, was vandalised while on display in the Royal Academy in 1997. | |
Moors murderer Hindley, who died in 2002, was jailed along with her partner Ian Brady in 1966 for the murders of four children between 1963 and 1964. |