The Labour party has been accused of using the x-ray of a victim of child abuse in an attack advert. Medical experts claim the image of a broken leg depicts injuries consistent with a history of violence on a child aged three to five. The advert was launched by Ed Miliband's party last week accusing the Tories of wanting to cut the NHS 'to the bone', despite Tory assurances that the health budget would be protected. Labour launched the poster last week claiming the Conservative party would not protect the health service from cuts . The controversial image was unveiled on Friday by shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham as Labour's 'first poster of the 2015 general election campaign'. It showed the x-ray of a broken leg bone, under the headline: Next time, they'll cut to the bone.' It also featured the tagline: 'The NHS can't afford the Tory cuts plan.' But medics immediatly recognised the image as potentially showing the impact of repeated injuries suffered by an abuse victim. Labour stressed that the poster was designed by an external advertising agency, which used an image from a picture agency. But experts said it appeared to be 'very likely non-accidental injury', suggesting the broken bone could have been inflicted intentionally. Prof Christopher Colton, emeritus consultant in orthopaedic and accident surgery, Nottingham University Hospital, told the Telegraph: 'If that X-ray presented itself at a hospital, all the alarm bells would ring for possible non-accidental injury. 'There are absolutely clear two episodes of violence and possibly the bone bruise is a third.' Tory MP Julian Smith said: 'Labour must explain what due diligence they did to ensure their advert isn’t based on any child’s tragedy. The tone of their poster is unpleasant enough, I hope the provenance of the image is less toxic.’ Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham and shadow chancellor Ed Balls unveiled the poster in Harlow, Essex on Friday . The x-ray shows a very recent break in the middle of the leg, but there is healed fracture above the ankle which could be three to four weeks old. There is also a 'slight white haze' in the centre of the leg bone suggesting a healed bone bruise or fracture which is around five to six weeks old. A Labour party spokesman said: 'This image is a stock photograph provided by one of the world's biggest picture agencies.​' Peter Dazeley, the photographer credited on the Getty image, could not verify where it came from. Mr Balls and Mr Burnham used the poster to launch a highly political attack on the Tory party. Mr Balls said: 'George Osborne's Budget set out plans for deeper and more extreme spending cuts after the election. 'Our NHS just can't afford these extreme and risky Tory cuts. And after their broken promises on the NHS in this Parliament nobody will trust what the Tories say about the NHS.'
Labour launched poster claiming the NHS faced a 'Tory cuts plan'
The advert featured an x-ray showing a broken leg of a suspected toddler . Medical experts say it also shows other older injuries to leg and ankle . Appears 'very likely non-accidental injury' and could be result of abuse .