Selfridges display angers Sidebottom fans

Department store Selfridges has been criticised by fans of the late Chris Sievey's comic character Frank Sidebottom for seemingly using his image without permission.

The Christmas window display at the chain's Oxford Street flagship branch features several oversize heads which appear similar to that sported by Sievey, who died in June at the age of 54.

Writing on Boggle About Beer, fan Sid Boggle said: "The pic got picked up by some of the Frank Sidebottom fan groups on Facebook, with questions being asked about whether or not Selfridges had permission to use the likeness.

"Seems not - they hadn't approached anybody connected with the Sievey/Sidebottom estate."

He continued: "Selfridges ought to be ashamed of themselves for stealing a dead man's clothes, and I hope they do the right thing by either removing these heads from their display, or make a sizeable donation to the fund being set up to get a statue of the Great Man erected in Timperley."

Writer Jon Ronson revealed on Twitter that he had called the firm's customer services line to complain about the use of Sidebottom's image and confirmed that the staff would speak to their manager about the situation.