Voltarol advert taken down after editing out Grenfell Tower
An advert will be taken down with "immediate effect" after viewers noticed Grenfell Tower was edited out from a scene. 72 people died in a fire that engulfed the block in June 2017.
Thursday 18 April 2024 15:13, UK
An advert for pain relief gel Voltarol has been taken down after being criticised for editing Grenfell Tower out.
In a scene with people playing football at Westway Sports Centre in North Kensington, west London, the tower should appear in the background just beyond the A40.
But the structure, which is shrouded in sheeting with a banner reading "forever in our hearts" next to a green heart, is missing.
On 14 June 2017, 72 people died when a fire engulfed the tower block, despite residents consistently raising safety issues well beforehand.
A spokesperson for Haleon, the health company that commissioned the advert, told Sky News: "We are deeply sorry for any distress that our recent Voltarol advertisement may have caused.
"We will be taking the advert off air with immediate effect."
Grenfell United, a campaign group run by survivors and founded just days after the fire, shared a post from another user criticising the advert on social media.
On X, the post stated it was "upsetting" to see the tower edited out, adding: "We still await justice yet phasing out Grenfell has [begun]."
While the tower remains in place, plans for a permanent memorial are still in progress - but government funding is yet to be agreed.
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In November last year, the Grenfell Tower memorial commission said construction of a "bold, fitting, and lasting memorial" could begin from late 2026.
It states the space should include a garden, a monument and a dedicated space for the private expression of grief and mourning for the families who lost loved ones.
To press on with plans, which will also take in different views from the community, the commission said the government must provide certainty around the budget.
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Tap here"Our working assumption has always been that the government will fully fund the memorial and its maintenance, in perpetuity," the commission stated in a report, adding ministers have a "moral and ethical duty to do so".
"This commitment has enabled us to press ahead with this important work and we are now at a stage where we are able to take the next steps towards a design brief.
"To do this, we need to have greater certainty around the budgetary framework and about what the commitments made by government will mean in practice."
Communities secretary Michael Gove said at the time: "I am absolutely committed to supporting the Grenfell community and making sure they are at the heart of the vision for this memorial."