Sea of Poppies artist gets death threats despite raising £10m for charity

The artists behind the Tower of London’s Sea of Poppies received death threats because people perceived donations were going to charities “involved in war.”

Paul Cummins (below) has spoken out about the threats after the project raised more than £10 million for a number of charities.

Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red saw 888,246 ceramic poppies planted in the moat with each one representing a British or colonial death during World War One.

The net proceeds plus 10% of every sale generated the £10m being shared between Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion, Combat Stress, Cobseo, Coming Home and SSAFA.

He said he received the threats from phone calls, email and letter.

"The threats came, I suppose, because they felt that the money was going to charities which in some way were involved in war."

He added he had contacted police regarding the threats.

Cummins said the project, which took place last summer, put him out of pocket because he had failed to receive funding from the Arts Council in England.

“I sold my house and am still paying back loans,” he said.

“I only received the money from Derby Council because it was providing employment. But the whole thing was a massive risk and a two-year-long worry,” he said.

London mayor Boris Johnson, along with MPs, suggested the poppies should stay at the tower for months but Cummins was opposed to that idea.

“I didn’t want it to become some strange tourist attraction,” he said.