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A shop in Surrey has been accused of racism over an “unacceptable” image which appears to show black people working on a tobacco plantation overseen by white men.

Farrants in Cobham is being urged to remove the “incredibly triggering” picture, which covers a wall behind a cash desk and includes the words “we sell tobacco”.

Misan Harriman, the chairman of London’s Southbank Centre and a photographer who is a friend of Prince Harry and Meghan, criticised Farrants after visiting the store while shopping for toys for his daughters, adding: “I can’t believe what I just saw.”

Former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said on social media he had previously complained about the same issue in 2020 – and was told the store would “replace” the large sepia image.

Mr Harriman, who has taken portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – including Princess Lilibet for her first birthday – and who is also an ambassador of Save the Children UK, posted a video on Twitter which has been shared thousands of times.

He said: “I saw the most triggering thing, I’ve just come in to try and get toys for my girls, and I just saw the most incredibly triggering imagery. Luckily, my children are not with me.

“There’s a huge image – of what looks like a tobacco plantation with four broken men, black men that look like me, and their white overseers – hugely at the place where you pay.”

He added: “So this shop, in the middle of a Surrey high street, thinks it’s normal to have that type of imagery next to where I could go and buy toys for my children… in 2023.

“I don’t shock easy. I can’t believe what I just saw.”

He wrote in the post: “This is in a family store, this imagery is massive triggering and racist. And there is no conceivable reason it should be there!”

The Duke of Sussex and photographer Misan Harriman in April 2022
Image:
Prince Harry and photographer Misan Harriman in April 2022

Following Mr Harriman’s video, Mr Hasselbaink wrote on Instagram: “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.”

On its website, Farrants says the shop has been a “familiar site” in Cobham High Street since 1896 and has a specialist tobacco room selling cigars and accessories.

The BBC reported Farrants has a poster next to the picture explaining why the store chose to display it.

It reads: “This image was selected as the main display feature in our store to honour, respect and recognise the ground-breaking work undertaken by all those involved in the development of the iconic Havana cigars available in our Tobacco Room today.

“The photograph, which we have cropped for our display, was taken at the Pinar del Rio plantation in 1907 and is one of the earliest examples of shade grown tobacco cultivation.

“Unlike other crop harvesting industries, the tobacco plantation owners of Cuba refused to use slave labour, insisting instead on employing free men.”

Sky News has contacted Farrants for a comment.

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.

The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.

A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.

The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.

A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.

Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.

More on London Marathon 2025

There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.

More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”

The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.

The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week’s council elections

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week's council elections

Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out forming coalitions at a local level with Reform after the council elections next week.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the Conservative leader did however categorically rule out a pact with Nigel Farage’s party on a national level.

“I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage… read my lips,” she said.

However, she did not deny that deals could be struck with Reform at a local level, arguing that some councils might be under no overall control and in that case, “you have to do what is right for your local area”.

“You look at the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with independents,” she said. “We’ve been in coalition with Labour before at local government level.

“They [councillors] have to look at who the people are that they’re going into coalition with and see how they can deliver for local people.”

She added: “What I don’t want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the results are out. They have to do what is right for their communities.”

More on Electoral Dysfunction

A total of 23 councils are up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday 1 May – mostly in places that were once deemed Tory shires, until last year’s general election.

It includes 14 county councils, all but two of which have been Conservative-controlled, as well as eight unitary authorities, all but one of which are Tory.

Ms Badenoch has set expectations low for the Tories, suggesting they could lose all the councils they are contesting.

The last time this set of councils were up for election was in 2021, when the Conservative Party was led by Boris Johnson who was riding high from the COVID vaccine bounce.

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.

Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.

The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Officers guard one of the crime scenes in Leeds
Image:
Officers guard one of the crime scenes

Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Image:
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds

Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.

“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.

“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”

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