Bradford-based Morrisons has issued an unreserved apology for using a well-known Northern landmark as an advertising hoarding.

A giant image of a French baguette was projected on the wings of the Angel of the North next to the A1 near Gateshead, along with the Morrisons supermarket logo.

The sculpture by Antony Gormley is passed by thousands of motorists a day, was finished in 1998, and is now owned by Gateshead Council, which said it had not given permission for the advert.

A council spokesman said: “The Angel has become a much-loved and iconic symbol of Gateshead and the wider North-East. Many goods and services have and want to be profiled alongside it, and there is a filming process in place to work with organisations to do this, although this does not include lighting the Angel in any way. It is disappointing this process does not appear to have been followed.”

A Morrisons spokesman said it was supposed to be a light-hearted way to catch people’s attention.

He said: “We’re sorry if people thought we got carried away by shining a baguette on the Angel of the North and apologise unreservedly to those to whom we have caused offence.”