Explosive photo removed from social media

The doctored image featured UUP members walking towards the civic centre with an explosion in the background at Rushmere Shopping Centre and Colin McCusker sporting a large moustache.

It was based on the Lurgan DEA candidate nominations photo that was circulated last week. The doctored version appeared on social media courtesy of Mr McCusker himself, but not everyone saw the funny side.

The explosion was deemed ‘inappropriate’ by some given Northern Ireland’s troubled past and the UUP man decided it was best to take it down.

Mr McCusker said: “It was my cousin’s son who did it for a laugh and sent it to me.

“I found it quite funny so I posted it up. Not everybody seemed to think it was funny or appropriate so I took it down again.

“I was prepared to have a laugh at my own expense, but I appreciate that some people didn’t see it that way.

“It was myself who put the picture out there. When I realised some people were going to be offended I took it down.”

The creator of the image, computers student Matthew Gray, told the ‘MAIL’: “When I saw the poster I said that it looked like something out of an action movie The Expendables the way they were walking in a line. Myself and my mate did a bit of work on it by adding an explosion and giving Colin a Tom Selleck moustache.

“I sent it to Colin and said, ‘I hope the election campaign is going well’.

“If I’d known it would get this much publicity I’d have made more effort.”