Sheffield fancy dress shop in hot water over Gaddafi stunt

Party Town in Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, had dressed a mannequin as the fugitive tyrant, wearing a full face covering and bearing a sign saying “You ain’t seen me, right.”

A shop assistant at Party Town said that police asked staff to remove the offending costume as there had been complaints.

A police spokesman confirmed that officers had visited the fancy dress shop, but said they called in on an advisory basis only.

The South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Two PCSOs, on normal patrol duties, called into the shop to ask if they would mind taking the mannequin out of the shop window, as some people may find it inappropriate.

“This advice was given in an attempt to prevent possible community tension on a sensitive issue.”

Party Town owner Peter Tooley said: “I think it’s very funny, I can’t imagine why anyone would complain about it.”

This isn’t the first time that displays in Sheffield fancy dress shops have caused a stir.

In May this year a window display at Party On in Division Street, showing Osama bin Laden being executed by a female American soldier in a khaki army mini-dress, was dubbed offensive and “anti-Islamic.”

Shop assistant Eve Cann said at the time: “We like to put together window displays that are going to attract attention.”