British supermarket chain Morrison's has apologised for projecting an advertisement onto the wings of the Angel of the North monument in Gateshead. 

The stunt was part of a new ad campaign and resulted in a giant baguette being shone across the 54 metre wingspan of the angel.

Widespread criticism followed, with commenters on social media calling it tacky and disrespectful - especially since it was partly intended as a memorial to the toil of coal miners who worked below it for two centuries.

Its creator, Anthony Gormley, expressed his resigned unhappiness: "I'd rather the Angel is not used for such purposes, but it's out there." Sensing possible exploitation, he had a clause prohibiting lighting inserted into his contract with the local council when the statue was first built, but it is not clear whether Morrison's had permission from the council to project the image.

Sensing that their plan was ill-received, the chain apologised, with a spokesperson saying: "We’re sorry if you thought we got carried away by shining a baguette on the Angel of the North and apologise unreservedly to those to whom we have caused offence. We were trying something different which was meant to put a smile on people's faces but clearly it wasn’t to everybody’s tastes".