30ft image of Page Three model projected on to church may or may not have happened

Religious leaders hit out after an image of a semi-naked glamour model was supposedly projected on to the front of a church. Aspers casino initially said they put the 30ft image on the tower of All Saints' Church in Northampton on Saturday night to publicise a strip poker event. A Peterborough Diocese spokesman said the company had "defaced an iconic landmark and a place of religious worship with an inappropriate image".

Father David McConkey, priest at All Saints', said he was "startled" when parishioners began contacting him and he was shown a photograph of the Page Three model on his church. "It seems very improper to me," he said. "We want this building to be a sign of God in the community. The company have never contacted me or asked any permission to do this." He added: "I don't want to appear po-faced, but we would not have given permission for this."



Aspers said: "We did not mean to cause offence in any way at all." A casino spokesman said the projection "was purely meant in good spirit". It was intended to advertise an "alternative Valentine's strip poker night" at the club. The image featured model "Jasmine" who will be appearing at the event, the spokesman added.

Then, following growing criticism, on Monday afternoon Aspers released a further statement. "Naturally we are sorry if anyone was offended by this picture," the statement said. "However, Aspers can assure the Church of England and anyone concerned that no picture was ever projected on to All Saints Church. The picture is entirely down to the modern miracles of computer wizardry through the use of the photo-shopping technology."