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| Northampton priest demands apology after semi-naked woman projected onto church tower in strip poker night promotion | Northampton priest demands apology after semi-naked woman projected onto church tower in strip poker night promotion |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A parish priest has demanded an apology after a casino projected a 30ft image of a semi-naked woman onto the side of his church in Northampton. | A parish priest has demanded an apology after a casino projected a 30ft image of a semi-naked woman onto the side of his church in Northampton. |
| The image was part of a publicity stunt for local casino Aspers, which said it was hosting a strip poker night on Valentine’s Day that would feature the model involved. | The image was part of a publicity stunt for local casino Aspers, which said it was hosting a strip poker night on Valentine’s Day that would feature the model involved. |
| But Father David McConkey, the priest at All Saints, Northampton, said he had been “appalled” by the incident on Saturday night. | |
| Yet far from apologising, the casino told the Northampton Chronicle the stunt was “purely meant in good spirit”, promoting an event that would include “two saucy Page 3 girls and one cheeky male model”. | Yet far from apologising, the casino told the Northampton Chronicle the stunt was “purely meant in good spirit”, promoting an event that would include “two saucy Page 3 girls and one cheeky male model”. |
| Father David told the Independent: “I am appalled, and I want an apology from the perpetrators. | |
| “I didn’t know anything about it until this morning, but I heard they [the casino] were bragging about it on Twitter. | |
| “This is not an appropriate use of an iconic building, a sacred space that means a great deal to this town and community. You could call it larceny – using property that doesn’t belong to them for their own gain. | |
| “I would certainly not have given permission for them to use the church, but they didn’t ask. I still haven’t had any direct contact at all from the casino. | |
| “I’m not aware of anything like this happening before, but to be honest I’m a bit nervous about what might happen next.” | |
| After word of the stunt spread on Twitter and local resident Ruth Campbell called it a “distasteful attack on the church and our religion”, it was brought to the attention of the campaign group No More Page 3. | After word of the stunt spread on Twitter and local resident Ruth Campbell called it a “distasteful attack on the church and our religion”, it was brought to the attention of the campaign group No More Page 3. |
| The organisation tweeted: “Good that there's been a backlash. Local feminist groups are essential for fighting these local fights as well.” | The organisation tweeted: “Good that there's been a backlash. Local feminist groups are essential for fighting these local fights as well.” |
| A spokesperson for Aspers Casino said: “We did not mean to cause offence in any way at all and it was purely meant in good spirit. Our alternative Valentine’s Strip Poker event on Friday night is a bit of fun and slightly tongue on cheek plus it is free for all to enter.” |