McDonald's to take down 'tasteless' billboard next to a crematorium

McDonald's is set to take down an advert after a sign caused a stir due to its "tasteless" location opposite a crematorium.

In an ironic coincidence, a billboard for the fast food chain's "McCrispy" burger was put up on a bus stop beside Penmount Crematorium in Truro, Cornwall.

The sign located on the busy A39 has sparked mix reactions, with some drivers finding the placement amusing while others grieving for a family member at the crematorium may be upset with the addition.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

One woman, whose mother-in-law was cremated at Cornwall-based crematorium last year, said: "Although I can see the funny side, it is tasteless and I'm sure some grieving family members won't like to see it when visiting Penmount for the funeral and cremation of a loved one."

Another person told a CornwallLive reporter: "I think how funny it is will probably depend on how long ago you followed the crematorium sign wearing a black tie."

A third person added: "This is actually quite funny… Does anyone actually think that McDonald’s has someone driving around vetting the suitability of locations for their adverts?… Me thinks not, it’s just an unfortunate coincidence."

"This would definitely help lighten my mood on an already sad day if I was attending a funeral and seen that," a fourth person commented.

Someone else replied: "I found it funny, but not sure I would have if I was saying good bye to a loved one."

As a result of the controversy of the advert's location, McDonald's has now said the sign will be taken down.

A spokesperson for the company said: 'We were unaware of the road sign in the vicinity of this bus stop. However, in light of the concerns raised by CornwallLive, we have asked for our advertisement to be removed.'

Cornwall Council, which runs the crematorium and owns the bus shelter, said it was unable to comment on the matter, CornwallLive reported.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.