Cumbria police has apologised for a leaflet it issued which included an image of a black person dealing drugs.
It said it had been made aware that concerns had been raised about the leaflet, which it used as part of efforts to gain information about drug supply in the county.
A statement said: “Following feedback, the constabulary accept that this was a poor choice of image.
“Immediate action has been taken to remove this material from further use and additional processes have been put in place to ensure appropriate imagery is used in future material.
“The constabulary apologise for the offence this has caused.”
