A former city mayor has joined war veterans and historians in calling for controversial modern art on display at Southampton City Art Gallery to be pulled down.

The North+South exhibition - which includes green underpants and Kurdish script splashed over the Union Flag - has been branded an "insult to the city" and a "dig at Christian-ity" by visitors from across the country, as revealed in yesterday's Daily Echo.

The exhibition, which explores English identity in the 21st century, opened early last month.

Labour councillor and former Mayor, Parvin Damani, said the piece at the centre of the row, Patriotic Pants, was offensive.

"Putting underpants over the Union Flag is in extremely poor taste and it's an insult to the people of England," she said.

"I would like it removed from the gallery because judging by the comments it is only fuelling racism that we are trying to stop."

Tom Cromie, chairman of the Normandy Veterans' Associ-ation Wessex branch, described it as "an insult" to war heroes. He said: "We salute the Union Flag and our flag is not a pair of underpants. This is not freedom of speech - it's just an insult."

Fellow veteran, Vernon House, said he was "disgusted" by the painting. "It's filth, I hate it and believe it should be taken down," he said.

Solent Sky Museum curator Alan Jones said it was offensive and tantamount to treason.

"The Union Flag is symbolic of our freedom and that has been degraded. I think those who died for our freedom would be turning in their grave," he said.

"I believe we have lost all our civic pride, because anyone with any pride would have dragged down this offensive art.

"If that's what the authorities think the wow factor is then I think I'll emigrate."

However, Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Sollitt defended the gallery.

"Art is in the eye of the beholder and we should not as a council shy away from things that are controversial," he said.

"I think it's right that the gallery presents art that is provocative and challenging."

Gallery curator Tim Craven earlier this week said that modern art often provoked controversy, but that he did not believe it was offensive.

The Nottingham artist at the centre of the row, Chris Lewis-Jones, was unavailable for comment.