UK Civil Service Mistakenly Publishes Satirical Poster Urging Parents to Kill Their Children

The UK civil service has mistakenly published a satirical poster that advises parents to shoot their children if they think they have rabies. The poster featured in the latest issue of ‘Civil Service Quarterly’, which featured a history of government communications. 

The poster was created by the fictional council of Scarfolk, which was created by writer and designer Richard Littler as “a dystopian satire of the 1970s that somehow leaks into and reflects on current affairs”.

Richard told Sky news that he didn’t know how the poster ended up in the quarterly publication but added: “I'd like to think a Scarfolk fan and/or cult member infiltrated the civil service - as my book predicts!"

He also told Sky News that he created the fictional place “partly because, as a Brit abroad who is not allowed to vote in UK affairs, I feel the need to have some kind of say".

"That's the serious bit, but it's also just for the sake of being silly," he told Sky News. I also do it because I'm trying to reassess/investigate the 1970s, which for kids of the period, was a very weird time. Everything was strange and absurd."

Scarfolk began life on social media but has since found life in a book - a second book, the Scarfolk Annual’ will soon be released. A TV show is also reportedly in development, co-written by Will Smith, the writer behind The Thick of It and Veep.