Police investigating death threats over Michael Jackson statue at Hackney studio
Police are investigating deaths threats made by obsessive Michael Jaskson fans over a controversial statue of the singer at a Hackney recording studio.
Bosses at The Premises Studios in Hackney Road have called in investigating officers after hate mail about ‘Madonna and Child’ became increasingly menacing.
The life-sized model by Swedish-born sculptor Maria von K�hler, which shows the moment the star dangled his baby out of a Berlin hotel window in 2002, has sparked a barrage of angry messages since going up last month.
Many fans complained that the artwork was disrespectful and called for it to be taken down.
But one said: ““I think we will come to put the fire, or something worst (sic) in your exhibit. Don’t mess with the fans of the King.”
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And yesterday morning (Thursday), the studio’s owners received an expletive-laden email pledging to destroy the statue today, prompting them to report the matter to Hackney Police.
Viv Broughton, chief executive of The Premises, said: “So far we haven’t been taking the threats very seriously but a few of them have become quite specific. The level of abuse has been extraordinary so we’re taking a few precautionary measures just to be on the safe side.”
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A spokeswoman for Hackney Police said: “We’re investigating an allegation of malicious telecoms.”