The image on the right is a new poster for the London 2012 Olympics featuring a section of the River Thames. The image on the left is a photo of the roughly the same section of the river.  Notice a difference? (Click on the thumbnails for larger images.)   The graphic artists who designed the poster have apparently airbrushed out the Royal Navy light cruiser, HMS Belfast.  Not surprisingly, many are not happy about it.

Are Olympics chiefs ashamed of our proud military history? Just days before Remembrance Sunday, HMS Belfast is airbrushed from poster

The Mail understands designers removed Britain’s largest historic vessel from an aerial photograph of London because it ‘obscured’ the white lettering on one of seven posters. But HMS Belfast was then deleted – accidentally, it is claimed – from all of them.

It is thought as many as 200 of the posters were put up around London, including on the Tube, before being hastily removed.

Falklands veteran Commander John Muxworthy said: ‘It is barking. The Navy helped develop the British Empire and HMS Belfast has contributed to that greatness. It cannot just be airbrushed out.’

Martyn Heighton, director of National Historic Ships, which advises the government on the preservation of such vessels, said: ‘It is unbelievable. HMS Belfast does not get in the way of anything, certainly not the design of a poster. Graphics should be worked around her.’

Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing the article along.