Charity worker banned from gym after Hannibal Lecter picture prank

A charity worker has had his gym membership revoked after he superimposed Hannibal Lecter's face on a photo of his friend and stuck it on a wall "as a joke".

Robert Conn was flabbergasted when staff at Xercise4Less gym in Stockton, where he has been a long-standing member, told him he was banned because of his antics.

The 51-year-old claims staff "found the picture offensive" as they believed it was a photograph of Adolf Hitler, reports Teesside Live.

But Robert insists it was a headshot picture of the fictional killer in cult film Silence of the Lambs.

He'd jokingly placed Lecter's face over a photo he'd snapped of his pal as he was strapped into a wheelchair during a "funny turn" at the gym.

Two copies of the mocked up picture of Robert's friend, Michael Massey, were printed off and displayed on the gym wall in September.

But when Robert and another friend, Steve McCulloch, returned to the fitness centre the next day, they found they were both banned.

"The lad in the wheelchair is my friend, Michael,  I've known him for over 30 years," said Robert.

"About eight months ago he was training quite hard and took a funny turn so staff put him in a wheelchair and I took a photo.

"Last month I thought it was a good idea to put Hannibal Lecter's face over his as it looked like that scene from Silence of the Lambs.

"I put two pictures on the wall and we all had a laugh about it, including Michael."

But when Robert, who works for a charity in Durham, discovered his membership had been revoked, he was left stumped.

"I was driving to the gym when Steve called me and told me not to bother because we were barred," he added.

"When I got there staff told us the news, I asked why and they said it was because I'd put a picture of Hitler on the wall.

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