King William wine to be repackaged after label ruled to be linked to sectarianism.

A tonic wine launched in Glasgow has had a complaint against it upheld for "causing serious offence".

King William Fortified wine which is 16.90 percent alcohol, was created as a competitor to Buckfast and launched across Glasgow and the west last year, with creators Belcondie saying they weren't worried about a backlash.

The alcohol industry's Independent Complaints Panel ruled that the reference to King William of Orange could be intrinsically linked to sectarianism.

In its ruling The Portman Group's Panel noted: " In some communities in the UK, King William’s image and events associated with him were intrinsically linked to sectarianism and he was seen as a figurehead by one side of a faction....On this basis, the Panel noted that the issue was unlikely to be one of widespread offence, but rather one that required consideration as to whether such marketing could cause serious offence to particular groups.

The Panel discussed views that had been obtained from a leading Scottish charity, Nil by Mouth. The charity explained that as a figure, King William, had historical importance on both sides of the Irish Sea and was a figure closely associated with Protestantism."

The Panel also found that the alcohol by volume (ABV) strength of 16.90% was an "unusual" and "intentionally presented in this manner to associate it with a year, particularly in the context that it appeared five times on the packaging".

The Jersey-registered company has agreed to change packaging and alcohol content.