Producers of a children’s Christmas panto in Harpenden had to remove a “tasteless” advertising banner after one complaint that it was bringing the town into disrepute.

Organisers of this year’s production of Aladdin at Harpenden Public Halls were told by St Albans District Council to remove the 20ft by 5ft banner last week.

The pantomime’s producer Chris Law said: “It’s an absolute disgrace. If we were putting on an inappropriate show, I would completely understand.

“There is a potential risk to the production and we are very concerned this lack of promotion may have a detrimental effect on ticket sales this Christmas.”

Mr Law told the Review the complainant said the banner was “tasteless” and “brings the town into disrepute”.

Glenn Povey, general manager of the halls, said he was shocked when instructed to remove the banner.

He said: “The banner has been at the same place and the same size for the past three years.

“How could one person have so much influence and force the council to react? This has all been a knee jerk reaction.

“We have had more complaints since taking it down, it is completely ridiculous.

"This whole fiasco has become a pantomime in itself.”

Mr Povey said this year the banner went up a little earlier in order to target those on school holidays.

St Albans District Council, which owns the halls, said the banner was always due to be taken down after the school holidays, and will be put back up towards the end of October.

The council said the same marketing strategy would be used next year.

Richard Shwe, head of community services for the council, said: "A new marketing strategy for the Christmas pantomime was agreed earlier this year.

"For the first time, it was decided to put up a promotional banner on the public halls over the school holidays and take it down as the holidays ended. 

"There was one complaint made to the council about the early appearance of the banner.

"As has happened in previous years, the banner will be put up from late October in the run-up to the pantomime’s first performance on December 11.

"We are sorry we have caused some concern that we had been promoting the show too early.

"We will be going back to our traditional way of marketing the pantomime from next year."

The panto, which will star EastEnders original Peter Dean, who played Pete Beale, and Tracey Beaker’s Rochelle Knowles, will run between Friday, December 11 and Tuesday, December 22.

Do you think the banner was tasteless? Get in touch by emailing charlotte.ikonen@london.newsquest.co.uk.