A butcher at the centre of a row over his shop window has reinstated the display of dead pheasants, rabbits, ducks and geese.

East Anglian Daily Times: JBS Butchers in Sudbury have removed their window display after complaints about it. Richard Nicholson is pictured.JBS Butchers in Sudbury have removed their window display after complaints about it. Richard Nicholson is pictured. (Image: Archant)

But after a picture taken last year of the shop front emerged showing a whole dear carcass next to a sign reading ‘who shot Bambie’, an employee at the store hinted that business owner John Saywer would tone down the displays in the future.

JBS Family Butchers, in Sudbury’s Borehamgate Precinct, cleared its meat and game display earlier this week after receiving complaints from people who thought it was upsetting to children and was deterring customers from using neighbouring stores.

But after the story hit the national headlines, the butcher received so much public support he had a change of heart and put the display back.

When the EADT called the shop yesterday, Mr Sawyer was unavailable to comment on the picture of the deer. However, a woman working in the shop said Mr Sawyer did not mean any offence with the ‘Bambie’ sign, which was meant to be humorous.

When asked if the butcher intended to moderate the window displays, she said: “In the future, he won’t be sharing his sense of humour as much.”

Shop owner David Holland, who took the photograph, said shopkeepers had a collective responsibility to enhance the attractiveness of Sudbury’s shopping area and that the JBS window display did nothing to benefit the town’s image.

He added: “This issue is not about traditional window dressing for a butchers’ shop – it is an issue of respect for the animals and for people’s sensitivities.

“There’s no need for them to stop hanging dead hares in the window but putting a whole deer in there with a sign of that nature was wrong and it exhibits poor judgement of what is tasteful - and that decision impacts on everyone.

“We should of course be cognisant of where meat comes from, but you can make that case without being objectionable or offending people.”