A riot-themed incense called Lavender Hill Mob has been slammed on Twitter by Battersea’s MP and community groups as being in bad taste.
The Gorilla Perfume product, sold in Lush, features a cartoon of burning buildings with the phrase ‘inspired by the recent riots in London’ emblazoned on its packaging.
Battersea MP Jane Ellison took to Twitter to condemn Lush for selling the incense highlighting that it’s taken four years for some businesses to recover and that the store should be ‘ashamed’.
Agree with @LoveBattersea1 – and by the way it was 2011. Has taken some businesses the 4 years since then to recover https://t.co/UTqnvO99tA
— Jane Ellison MP (@JaneEllison) August 22, 2015
Labour councillor Simon Hogg agreed with Ms Ellison questioning whether a product ‘inspired by’ the 2011 riots was in good taste.
Not sure @LushLtd should be selling incense ‘inspired by’ the 2011 riots http://t.co/6H1mPu8TFN (via @LoveBattersea1) pic.twitter.com/aCtNLIaxEQ
— Simon Hogg (@CllrSimonHogg) August 23, 2015
The Love Battersea Community group tweeted: “Dear Lush – if you’d seen the fire & destruction on Lavender Hill you’d be ashamed.”
@HamesJumber @LittleCarlyMy @LushLtd @JaneEllison Dear Lush – if you’d seen the fire & destruction on Lavender Hill you’d be ashamed 😔😥
— Love Battersea (@LoveBattersea1) August 22, 2015
The product description reads: “In 2011, the streets of London burned as angry mobs looted and left a trail of destruction.
“As the rioters approached Lavender Hill in Clapham, the residents joined hands in a show of community spirit and solidarity to keep violence from the streets.
“We were inspired to create a calming incense to still the mind and remind us of the importance of community.”
The Lush website reads that in the last financial year the company donated more than £898,000 to small charities, grassroot campaigns and organisations.
Featured image and video courtesy of Gorilla Perfume via YouTube, with thanks
