Tower of London poppy artist: Police investigate 'death threats' sent to Paul Cummins over military charities
Some people are allegedly angry that the reported £10 million made by the exhibition will be donated to military charities
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Your support makes all the difference.The Tower of London poppy exhibition was one of the most poignant commemorations of the First World War attracting more than 4 million visitors. But its positive impact did not extend to everyone according to the artist behind the display who has since received death threats.
Paul Cummins, who has been awarded an MBE along with designer Tom Piper for his work on the installation of ceramic flowers, says he received death threats from people angry that armed services charities stood to benefit.
The police were called in after threats came by email, phone and letter Cummins told the Sunday Times: "Even the police got involved. The threats came, I suppose, because they felt that the money was going to charities which in some way were involved in war."
The Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red installation was made up of 888,246 ceramic poppies filling the moat at the Tower, with each flower signifying a British or colonial military death during the First World War.
The poppies were sold off for a reported £10 million once the installation was removed from the Tower and the military charities that stood to benefit included Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress.
The Prime Minister and Royal Family were among those who planted ceramic poppies as part of the exhibit, installed as part of commemorations marking 100 years since the start of the Great War.
In her Christmas message the Queen spoke of her own visit to see them, saying: "The only possible reaction to walking among them was silence."
The exhibit was so popular a national campaign was launched to extend it.
Cummins, from Derby, also told the paper he had offers to work on other ceramic projects, including one in Britain, another in Europe and one in "a distant part of the world".
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