Plan to burn effigy of Alex Salmond on Lewes bonfire scrapped after complaint

 
Effigy: the giant Alex Salmond effigy with accompanying Nessie (Picture: East Sussex County Council)
Alexandra Rucki6 November 2014

A decision has been made to not burn a giant Alex Salmond effigy as part of Lewes Bonfire celebrations following complaints to police.

An image of the figure was revealed by East Sussex County Council earlier today, which was initially intended to be burned as part of the Lewes Bonfire celebrations.

But the effigy was deemed ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’ by Scots who blasted the council for tweeting the picture.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">For those enquiring we have been advised that there won't be any burning of the Alex Salmond effigies this evening in Lewes.— Sussex Police (@sussex_police) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/sussex_police/status/530100833741189122" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-150386-https://twitter.com/sussex_police/status/530100833741189122" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 5, 2014</a>

A statement from Sussex Police said the figure will not be burned.

Sussex Police said tonight it was aware of the portrayal of Mr Salmond at the event and acknowledged that concerns had been raised.

It added: "Whilst we accept there is a long tradition of creating effigies of high-profile individuals in politics, sport, the media, etc, a complaint has nevertheless been received and will be investigated."

Scotland’s First Minister was transformed into a giant dummy accompanied by the Loch Ness Monster and a sign quoting the 45 per cent SNP gained in the recent referendum.

Anne McLaughlin, a managing director of a communications company, tweeted earlier: "Can it possibly be acceptable or even legal 2burn an effigy of a LIVING PERSON? Not part of my moral code. @EastSussexCC you are despicable!"

But the council rebuffed the criticism and replied: "Please note that the Alex Salmond and Nessie models were created by Waterloo Bonfire Society £LewesBonfire and have NO connection to ESCC."

Television presenter and journalist Piers Morgan also tried to soften the blow by tweeting: "Don't take this Lewes bonfire thing too personally @AlexSalmond - they burned me too."

Mr Salmond told BBC Scotland: "I'm in pretty good company - Angela Merkel got the burning treatment from the East Sussex Conservative council.

"I think their judgment is askew but if they think I'm a threat to the Westminster establishment like Guy Fawkes, they are right.

"I am used to insults from Tories in East Sussex and if they think that is a good thing to do it is up to them."

He added that he was more concerned about Nessie being burned and said it was "totally outrageous".

Mr Salmond and Nessie were due to be paraded through the town before being blown up at the Waterloo Bonfire Society's fireworks display at Malling Brooks.

The society, which is celebrating is 50th anniversary since it was reformed, said it would be charging an admission fee to watch the display for the first time in its history because of rising costs of securing the site and meeting health and safety obligations.

The first Bonfire Societies in Lewes were set up in 1853 as a way to organise the riotous annual celebrations by the "Bonfire Boys", which often led to fires and disorder.

Each society has its own particular costumes, bonfire site and procession route within the town.

Bonfire in Lewes does not only commemorate the gunpowder plot, but also other events including the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs in the town's High Street from 1555 to 1557 under the reign of Mary Tudor.

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