Race row as thousands sign rival petitions over keeping or removing pub sign of a black man's head branded 'disgusting racist imagery'

More than 18,000 people have signed a petition calling for a historic 'racist' pub sign to be removed. 

Thousands of protesters have been embroiled in a debate over a historic figure depicting a black man from The Green Man and Black's Head pub in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

The calls come as Black Lives Matter protesters today tore down a statue of the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol as demonstrations continue to increase in the UK following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

The Change.org petition, which was organised by Rebecca Jordan, has seen thousands of people voice their frustrations over the controversial sign and call for Ashbourne Town Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council to remove the 'racist imagery'.

Protesters have signed a petition calling for a sign  above The Green Man and Black's Head pub in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to be removed

More than 18,000 have signed a petition calling for the historic sign in St John's Street to be removed

On her petition Ms Jordan writes: 'Anybody who lives in Ashbourne will be familiar with the imagery this petition refers to; a racist cartoonish depiction of a black man's head hanging over St John's Street. 

'This kind of disgusting racist imagery has NO place in 2020 and should have been removed many many years ago. 

'It is harmful and instils a dangerously cavalier attitude towards this kind of caricature-style portrayal of black people that served to help keep them oppressed for hundreds of years. 

'It is NOT an important part of Ashbourne's history and identity, it is a disgusting and shameful fixture that many of us are deeply opposed to. It needs to be removed.

'Following the tragic and unlawful murder of George Floyd and countless other black people to police brutality, and the protests resulting from it across the world, we in Ashbourne can do our bit to fight back against this kind of vile racism by starting at home, on St John's Street. 

Thousands of people have been locked in debate over the historic figure (left and right) as Black Lives Matter demonstrations continue to increase in the UK

In her change.org petition, Rebecca Jordan calls for Ashbourne Town Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council to remove the 'racist imagery'

'This is only a first step to fixing the ingrained racism of our own country, but how can we support racial justice while passing underneath this monstrosity every day and doing nothing about it?' 

The Green Man was built in the 1750s to help facilitate for the thriving coaching trade in the town.

In the 1820s, the owner of the inn purchased the Blackmoor's Head Inn and merged the two inns into The Green Man and Black's Head Inn. 

After the railway industry purchased the coaching trade by 1855, the pub continued to host a range of social events in Ashbourne.

The site is now a Grade Two listed building with Historic England and the sign is recorded as the longest single inn sign in the country.

Following the petition calling to remove the sign, hundreds signed a counter-petition to save the imagery.

Following the petition, hundreds have now signed a counter-petition to save the imagery

The petition was launched by Shaun Redfern who wrote: 'The Black's Head should be kept because of the history for the town and that it should only be looked at as a reminder of what times was.

'The blacks head is a tourist attraction from being constructed back in 1825 when the green man and the black Inn more were joined together, also due to holding the Guinness world record of being the longest Inn sign.'

The dispute comes as Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol today and dumped it in the harbour. 

As demonstrations continue to increase across the world in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, footage today showed demonstrators heaving the metal monument down with ropes before cheering and dancing around it.

The statue, which had been in place since 1895, has been a subject of controversy in recent years with the most recent petition to remove gathering more than 11,000 signatures.