Papers report outcry over euro advert

Celebrities taking part in a cinema advert in favour of keeping the pound have found themselves at the centre of a row on grounds of taste and politics in Wednesday's papers.

They appear in a commercial made by the anti-Euro campaign which features comedian, Rik Mayall, dressed as Adolf Hitler declaring: "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Euro."

The Independent reports that the advert appears to have "back-fired dramatically" offending Jews and resurrecting the worst stereotype of German ambitions in Europe.

The Guardian believes the joke will be seen as a "major blunder".

And the German embassy tells the Financial Times that it is ludicrous to equate Hitler with the Euro.

But, according to the Daily Telegraph the No campaign believes the controversy has been "whipped up" by its pro-Euro opponents, Britain in Europe.

The Independent columnist, David Aaronovitch, questions the wisdom of Bob Geldof's participation in an advert for such a parochial cause.

"It's as though Gandhi had taken up the fight against road humps," he writes.

But the Sun's political editor Trevor Kavanagh is convinced the LiveAid organiser's involvement has "torpedoed" Prime Minister Tony Blair's chances of winning a Euro referendum.

The Daily Mail says the commercial is designed to demolish the prime minister's argument that those against the single currency are all hard-right fuddy-duddy Tories.

Police control

The Times criticises Mr Blair's decision to order 10 chief constables, whose forces have the worst records in England for street crime, to report directly to 10 specially-appointed ministers.

The paper's leader column expresses concern that ministers are imposing central control over the police unprecedented outside times of widespread civil disorder.

Snooker player cleared

The case of professional snooker player, Quinten Hann being cleared of raping a student features in the Mirror and the Sun.

The Mirror is incensed that the legal system gives the woman anonymity.

The Daily Star demands the accused have their identity protected at least until convicted.

Henman match tension

"Roll up for another white-knuckle ride on the Tim Henman roller-coaster" is the Guardian's assessment of the fate awaiting British tennis fans.

"Does he torment us deliberately?", asks the Times, pondering the British number one's record of five-set cliff-hangers at Wimbledon.

"Now it's all up to Henman", says the Mail, after Greg Rusedski's defeat on Tuesday.

Human cost of mid-air collision

The Times focuses on the Russian children killed in the mid-air collision over Germany who should have now been playing on a beach.

Here, a girl's shoe, says the Mirror- there, a scorched blouse, and sun cream and guide books, telling of a plane full of excited youngsters.

It was to have been a once-in-a-liftetime treat, reports the Guardian.

Meanwhile confusion remains over the crash's cause.

The Independent says aviation experts are baffled by the disaster while the Mail speaks of the "war of words" over events leading up to the collision.

Pensioner's protest

The Mail takes up the case of 108-year-old Alice Knight who it says died after going on hunger strike in protest at the closure of the residential home in Norwich.

The Mail blames government red tape and cost-cutting for the problems affecting old people's homes.

The Guardian focuses on the United Nations report on the scale of the Aids epidemic.

It highlights the "vast gulf" between those who will die in the absence of treatment and those whose lives can be indefinitely prolonged by modern medicine.

Recorder blues

The culprit responsible for putting children off music for life has been found.

The Express reports that the recorder is to blame, according to interviews with 1200 children by Keele University.

According to the Telegraph, most of them were fed up with learning the instrument at school deeming it childish, boring and uncool.