Council paints white family black

A New Labour flagship council has been accused of "political correctness gone mad" after doctoring an image of a white mother and child to make them black.

Camden council, frequently chosen to pilot government policies, used the modified image as part of a campaign to encourage fostering.

Its gaffe was exposed when it published two identical pictures in its monthly residents' newsletter - one showing the mother and child with white skin and the other black.

The council, which represents an area where one in four residents is from an ethnic minority, has issued a public apology.

But Conservative opposition leader Piers Wauchope said the apology carried little weight as no attempt was being made to withdraw the newspaper, Camden Living.

He said: "If they really were as sorry as they say, they ought to pulp all the issues they can find. But this propaganda sheet, which costs ?100,000 a year, is still being given away in supermarkets and libraries. It's political correctness gone mad.

"For a council as PC as Camden to go down the 'Black and White Minstrel' route is completely laughable. I think most people will say what a joke, and how typical of Camden to be so desperate to get it right."

His Tory colleague Don Williams, who is black, said: "I can't speak for everybody but I'm sure there will be a wide array of opinions. Most people would accept it was an honest mistake." The image of the white mother carrying a white child was published alongside a story urging families to foster or adopt children in the council's care.

But the same image was used in a much larger back-page advert for fostering - except computer technology had been used to alter their skin colour. In a statement posted on its website, Camden says it " apologises unreservedly" for doctoring the image.

The council said: "The publication of the back-page image was a genuine mistake and Camden council apologises for the use of what is clearly an offensive image. We are reviewing our

editorial processes and will do everything we can to ensure this is not repeated.

"While the council sincerely regrets the publication of the image, the importance of the campaign to encourage people to foster and adopt children in the borough must not be forgotten."

The council's assistant chief executive, Philip Colligan, has also made a direct apology to all councillors. He said it was part of a campaign to encourage residents from different ethnic backgrounds to foster and adopt.

The council said there were about 80 children in need of short-term foster care at any one time and a further 37 - aged between six months and 13 - needing long-term fostering or adoption.

Last year the council was able to find adoptive families for only 19 children and permanent foster care for nine.

"Without fostering and adoption in the borough, these children have to be placed outside Camden, away from their families, risking disruption to their schooling," the council said.

It seeks to place black children with black families but there is no restriction on white people fostering or adopting ethnic minority children. Same-sex partners are also able to adopt. The only restriction is on age - there should be no more than 45 years between carer and child.

Vanessa Strang, from Camden's permanent placement team, said: "We try to place children with people whose backgrounds match theirs, so we need people from all walks of life.

"But the most important thing is to be able to give a child the love and support they need."