Doors: 'Jim Morrison didn't need a pardon'

Jim Morrison's former bandmates have claimed that his recent pardon has come too late.

The late Doors singer was officially pardoned earlier this month by the governor of Florida for an indecent exposure charge dating back more than 40 years.

Morrison was convicted of the charge after allegedly exposing himself to a crowd during a 1969 concert in Miami.

Former Doors members Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger have spoken out about the gesture and called the original charges against Morrison "an affront to free speech".

"We don't feel Jim needs to be pardoned for anything," the surviving members of The Doors said in a statement.

"The charges against him were largely an opportunity for grandstanding by ambitious politicians - not to mention an affront to free speech and a massive waste of time and taxpayer dollars."

The musicians also want the matter expunged from the state's official record.

They added: "If the state of Florida and the city of Miami want to make amends for the travesty of Jim Morrison's arrest and prosecution 40 years after the fact, an apology would be more appropriate - and expunging the whole sorry matter from the record."

Doors guitarist Krieger said in early December: "Nobody would like to have that charge hanging over their head, even if they are dead. I'm sure his family would be happy to see that go, especially since it never happened."