A cosmetic brand has been accused of exploiting the London riots with its Lavender Hill Mob incense that was “inspired” by the 2011 London riots and features packaging depicting a picture of a burning building.

Anger is growing among shoppers and social media users are after photos spread on Twitter of cosmetic brand Lush’s product.

The company’s PR manager has said the product, which according to the packaging was “inspired by the 2012 riots in London” “celebrates” the public’s resistance to the chaos and is scented with “calming lavender for this reason”.

Others see it as an attempt to cash in on a terrible event that left the streets of Clapham in ruins four years ago citing the depiction of a burning building on the label as being “as opportunistic as the rioters”.

Twitter user Carly Alexandra first noticed the product in a Facebook post and was quick to share her thoughts.

She posted: “Omg what are Lush thinking?! I will never buy from you again.” She also challenged the cosmetic brand’s intentions behind the product, calling its branding into packaging into question saying: “Usage of the word ‘mob’ and illustration of a burning building is a complete contradiction of our community spirit. It’s as opportunistic as the rioters.”

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Clapham became the centre of anarchy on the evening of August 8, 2011, when up to 1,000 youths took to the streets and ransacked high street stores. For two hours shop fronts along St John’s Hill, St John’s Road and Lavender Hill were vandalised. Hours later police led building evacuations after a fancy dress shop and flats above caught fire on Lavender Hill. Councillor for Latchmere Simon Hogg also felt that the product was distasteful, making light of a devastating event.

He said: “I’d rather that Lush didn’t sell products ‘inspired’ by the riots. The Clapham Junction riots were terrible, they changed lots of lives. “The looting and destruction divided our community and the memories of that night are still upsetting for a lot of people.”

Lush PR manager Stephanie Boyd said the product did not celebrate the riots at all. She said: “Lavender Hill Mob incense was created as a celebration of what people did and their resistance to the riots, not the riots themselves. “It is scented with calming lavender for this reason.

“Regarding reference to Lush making a profit from this product, it is sold online and in only one of our 933 shops worldwide.”

The spokeswoman defended the company’s reputation for helping communities saying it had raised more than £5million for charity and other good causes last year including grassroots groups around the world working in environment, animal protection and human rights. It had also donated £107,000 to support children affected by the Fukushima disaster in Japan.