Sadiq Khan confirms TfL will remove controversial Michael Jackson bus adverts

Controversial adverts that express support for Michael Jackson are to be removed from the side of Transport for London's (TfL) buses, Sadiq Khan has confirmed.

The adverts, which bear the tagline "Innocent", were pushed by a Jackson fan group in response to a two-part Netflix documentary, Leaving Neverland, in which the late singer is accused of abusing young boys at his ranch in California.

The London mayor said TfL was approached by the group to run the advertising campaign from 25 February to 24 March this year through its advertising partner Exterion.

He said the adverts were accepted by TfL on the ground they complied with its policy, but that in light of complaints made by members of the public and victims charities TfL "came to the view that it would not accept an application to extend the advertising run and that it would be appropriate to remove the adverts ahead of schedule".

"At no point were these adverts referred to me or anyone in the mayor's office," he said.

Under TfL's guidelines the body is able to review adverts once they are running and can remove them if they are deemed to be inappropriate or if they concern "public controversy or sensitivity".

The mayor was challenged by Conservative Assembly member Andrew Boff on the decision, who asked why TfL had then accepted adverts for the People's Vote campaign which calls for a second Brexit referendum.

Khan said: As I understand it there is no breach of the [TfL] policy and in their view it isn't particularly controversial or sensitive.

"You don't consider the People's Vote controversial?" Boff asked.

"I don't consider the ads on the TfL estate in relation to the People's Vote to be controversial or sensitive," Khan said.