Shop’s front: Cafe’s Al-Qaida poster ‘pure bad taste’.

Warning in shop window that shoplifters will be ‘tortured’ fails to amuse residents

A spoof poster which claims shoplifters visiting a Perth café will be tortured and executed by al-Qaidi has been slammed by residents.

People have hit out at the “warning” message in the shop window of The Café in Main Street, Bridgend.

Perth man James Coates, 41, said he found the poster “very distasteful”.

He said: “I’m all for a joke, especially in this day and age, but this is just pure bad taste.

“The shop might have been having problems with shoplifting but to ‘warn’ people about being tortured by al-Qaida and possibly executed is really stupid.

“I find it really offensive when you consider all the terrorist atrocities that have just taken place.

“Whoever put this up in the shop window obviously didn’t think too hard about the repercussions.”

Andy Coyne, 55, of Scone, also didn’t see the funny side of the poster. “This is outrageous,” he said. “It is meant to be a joke but it is a step too far in my opinion. If the shoplifting was that bad they (The Café) should have just contacted the police.

“To mention a terrorist organisation like al-Qaida is a piece of nonsense.”

The Café was closed yesterday when The Courier visited the shop and no one answered their phone when contacted.

Their website states that: “Situated in the heart of Perth, The Café offers mouthwatering sandwiches, breakfast, burgers and fried chicken cuisine.

“The Café is renowned throughout the area for its divine style and presentation of traditional cuisine – this is achieved by paying special attention to every fine detail and only using the very finest ingredients.”

The poster states: “Warning – Shoplifters will be kidnapped, tortured, videoed and put on YouTube, and then prosecuted. Repeat offenders will be executed.

“Kidnapping and torturing by al-Qaida. Sponsored by the US Government and the CIA.”

I’m all for a joke, especially in this day and age, but this is just pure bad taste.

JAMES COATES

The Café in Main Street, Bridgend and, below, the poster in its window.