A screenshot from the trailer of The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, which is the focus of criticism from a Colchester-based leprosy charity

COMEDIAN Stephen Fry has joined a Colchester charity’s criticism of a film trailer they allege pokes fun at leprosy.

LEPRA Health in Action, which helps those hit by the infectious disease, has hit out over a preview clip for The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.

The charity - in a letter to Oscar-winning producers Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace and Gromit - expressed its “utter dismay” at the trailer.

The trailer shows a pirate triumphantly boarding a ship and demanding gold. “Gold?” a crew member replied. “Afraid we don’t have any gold old man, this is a leper boat.” Seconds later the crew member’s left arm falls off.

LEPRA said the clip “completely misrepresents” leprosy and reinforces the misconceptions which leads to stigma and discrimination for those affected.

A spokesman for Bristol-based Aardman Animations said: “Aardman takes matters like this most seriously and is reviewing the situation.”

Stephen Fry, writing on social networking site Twitter, said: “Cheap joke Aardman, leprosy does not cause your arm to fall off.”

Sarah Nancollas, chief executive of LEPRA, said: “One person is diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes, many of these are children.

“Winning the battle against leprosy discrimination is vital if we are to win the war against the social and physical effects of this curable disease.

“Although we appreciate the intention to engage audiences we are disappointed that they have chosen to play on a misleading stereotype.

“We visit around three thousand schools across the UK and children in East Anglia alone raise more than £30,000 each year to fight leprosy stigma, hard work that is undone instantly by this film trailer.”

Leprosy is caused by a bacteria and can damage the face, hands and feet. Left untreated it can cause permanent damage. It does not cause body parts to fall off although they can become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections.

Explorer Sir Christian Bonnington, president of LEPRA, said: “Not only is the dropping off of body parts a total misnomer we have to ask is it acceptable for us to be laughing at the millions of people who are disabled by leprosy?

“With World Leprosy Day later this month we ask ourselves why is it that some people and conditions should be fair game for jokes while others are off-limits? The answer of course is - they should not be.”