Asda Removes Dead Soldier Dummy From Poppy Day Display After Complaints

An Asda store has removed a Poppy Day display that featured a dummy of a dead soldier after a number of complaints.

The display, to mark Remembrance Day this Sunday, included a mannequin dressed in army fatigues lying down beside a poppy tree.

But the supermarket in Harpurhey in Manchester was forced to remove the soldier from the display after a number of complaints on social media.

Twitter user @henderz_ said: “How anybody ever thought this was a good idea at @asda needs their head testing. Absolutely disgusting”.

The soldier has been removed from the display, which now just features the poppy tree.

Despite the controversy, others feel Asda should have kept the soldier in the display.

Andy Kay said on Facebook: “Removed a fallen soldier poppy statue because it offended people. Well it’s removal offends me.”

A spokeswoman for Asda told the Manchester Evening News: “We’re proud to support the Poppy Appeal in our stores across the UK and have been welcoming volunteers from the Royal British Legion into our stores to sell remembrance poppies.

“Our colleagues have been holding fundraising activities in stores to support the Poppy Appeal and it was not our intention to cause offence with the poppy display at the Harpurhey store.

“There were a couple of complaints about the use of the mannequin within the display so a decision was made to remove the mannequin but leave the rest of the display and poppies standing.”

(Picture: @henderz_/Twitter)