Cillian Murphy and the Peaky Blinders team have blasted a campaign ad for politician Ron DeSantis for featuring unauthorised footage from the TV show.

The Irish actor and series creator Steven Knight issued a statement on the Peaky Blinders Twitter account on Wednesday after clips of Murphy as gangster Tommy Shelby appeared in the anti-LGBTQ campaign video.

"On behalf of the partners of Peaky Blinders – Steven Knight, Cillian Murphy, Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Banijay Rights – we confirm the footage of Tommy Shelby’s character used within the video posted by Ron DeSantis’ campaign was obtained without permission or official licence," the statement read.

"We do not support nor endorse the video’s narrative and strongly disapprove of the use of the content in this manner."

The video, which also includes footage of Christian Bale as serial killer Patrick Bateman in 2000 movie American Psycho, champions the measures the Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful has taken against the LGBTQ+ community.

The ad features a string of pro-LGBTQ statements made by DeSantis' political rival Donald Trump and contrasts them with headlines about DeSantis' attacks on LGBTQ rights.

Murphy played Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders between 2013 and 2022. He is expected to reprise the role in a film follow-up.

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