Northern Ireland

Ice cream shop owner to change logo after Parachute Regiment comparisions

The logo of Derry ice cream shop Maiden Heaven has attracted criticism for its similarity with the Parachute Regiment insignia.
The logo of Derry ice cream shop Maiden Heaven has attracted criticism for its similarity with the Parachute Regiment insignia. The logo of Derry ice cream shop Maiden Heaven has attracted criticism for its similarity with the Parachute Regiment insignia.

THE owner of a Derry ice cream shop has apologised for his outlet's logo after it was compared to the insignia of the Parachute Regiment.

Mohamad Ali, who runs the Maiden Heaven cafe in Waterloo Place, said he would "never have used" the logo, featuring an ice cream cone and wings, had he "realised the similarity" between it and the insignia of the British army regiment that shot 26 unarmed civilians in the city on Bloody Sunday in January 1972, leaving 14 people dead.

The shop's awning and barriers marking its outdoor seated area also features similar maroon colouring to berets worn by Parachute Regiment soldiers and flags featuring its insignia of an open parachute with wings.

The contentious logo and maroon backdrop has also been used in flags and banners displayed in support of Soldier F, the regiment member who had been charged with the murder of Bloody Sunday victims William McKinney and James Wray.

Members of the Clyde Valley loyalist flute band displayed Parachute Regiment insignia on uniforms during an Apprentice Boys parade in Derry in 2019.
Members of the Clyde Valley loyalist flute band displayed Parachute Regiment insignia on uniforms during an Apprentice Boys parade in Derry in 2019. Members of the Clyde Valley loyalist flute band displayed Parachute Regiment insignia on uniforms during an Apprentice Boys parade in Derry in 2019.

Charges against Soldier F were dropped by the Public Prosecution Service in July, along with charges against another British army member, Soldier B, who had been charged with murdering 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty in Derry six months after Bloody Sunday.

In 2019, the Apprentice Boys issued a statement recognising that "upset" was caused to nationalists in Derry after a parade saw members of Larne's Clyde Valley flute band march through the city in maroon shirts featuring the Parachute Regiment logo and the letter 'F'.

Speaking about his decision to change the store's look, Mr Ali wrote in a Facebook post: "It has been brought to my attention over the last few days by few good friends that the logo for Maiden Heaven coffee shop and ice cream bears a striking resemblance to the Parachute Regiment insignia.

"Given the history of this city and the fact that the Parachute Regiment shot dead innocent people on the streets of Derry, I would NEVER have knowingly used a logo that would offend or hurt the people of this city that I love and the city that has been my home over the last 15 years."

He added: "I am working now to change this. And sorry if anyone was offended by this logo and colour, I would never have used it to promote my business had I realised the similarity."