Jim Carrey criticised for using boy's image in vaccine tweet

Actor Jim Carrey sparked outrage when he used a photo of an autistic boy to promote his claims vaccines contain harmful neurotoxins.

Ace Ventura star Carrey, 53, believes some vaccines cause autism as a result of these neurotoxins.

In a series of tweets about the issue, he used a photo of 14-year-old Alex Echols, who has a genetic syndrome called tuberous sclerosis.

Alex, from Oregon, USA, suffers from autism as a result, but his family said this has nothing to do with vaccines and were furious Carrey had used his image to suggest otherwise.

Alex’s mother, Karen Echols, tweeted the Dumb and Dumber actor asking him to remove the photo. It has since been taken down "in response to a report from the copyright holder".

Mrs Echols told BuzzFeed: "Jim Carrey has a huge platform - a huge following - and is misrepresenting my son’s image by attaching it to his anti-vax rant."

Her sister, Elizabeth Welch, also took to social media to condemn Carrey.