Cobham shop removes ‘racist’ image after Southbank Centre chair and former Chelsea star complaints

A store in Surrey which faced criticism for having a “triggering and racist” image of a tobacco plantation being used to sell cigars has now removed it and the business has apologised “unreservedly”.

Farrants in Cobham came under fire after photographer and social activist Misan Harriman shared footage of his visit to the store this week.

Harriman, chair of the Southbank Centre, describes the “racist” image of “Black men, broken Black men” with their “overseers next to them”.

The 46-year-old, a family friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had gone into the store to buy toys for his kids and captured the heritage image which shows white colonialists alongside workers on a plantation.

The video on Twitter went viral and has been viewed more than 2.4 million times.

The shop has since removed the image and apologised on Instagram for “any and all distress” the image had caused.

“We will keep this brief,” the post read.

“The image that has caused offence has been removed. We apologise unreservedly for any and all distress that it caused.”

Harriman posted screenshots of the shop’s apology on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a post from Surrey Police confirming that the image has been taken down.

Surrey Police posted: “We are aware of the commentary surrounding an image at Farrants newsagent in Cobham.

“While no formal reports have been made to police, we have spoken with the shop’s manager and we’ve been informed they have removed the image and issued an apology on Instagram.”

Former Netherlands and Chelsea football player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said he complained in 2020 about the same image in Farrants, which was founded in 1989 and has a specialist tobacco room selling cigars and accessories.

Hasselbaink said on Instagram that he had complained to Farrants’ owner David Worsfold three years ago and was told the store would “replace” the image.

On Wednesday, Hasselbaink wrote: “Stories come and go. This needs some attention (Farrants), I think it’s time you followed through on your word from 2020 and replaced this image.”

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