WEBSITE'S GLITTER ADVERT RAPPED

BBC News, UK: 15 March 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4805726.stm

Lastminute.com breached decency rules by mentioning sex offender Gary
Glitter in an advert for children's theatre tickets, the industry
watchdog said.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the advert was likely
to cause serious or widespread offence.

Showing two young boys, it stated: "Like Gary Glitter in a sweet shop,
you too can have your pick of kiddy treats in London's theatre world".

The online firm apologised and said the advert had now been withdrawn.

A spokesman for the website said: "We aim to create advertising which
makes us stand out. However, on this occasion we realise that there
has been an error in our judgment."

==== 'Tasteless humour' ====

Gary Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was jailed in Vietnam earlier this
month for molesting two young girls.

In 1999 he was handed a four-month jail sentence in the UK after being
convicted of possessing indecent images of children. He left the
country after his release.

One complainant claimed that linking children's leisure activities
with a sex offender was offensive.

The ASA found the online travel and leisure firm's advert was in
breach of the advertising code's decency clause.

The watchdog noted that the advert played on "contemporary, tasteless
humour" based on Glitter's UK conviction.

"We considered the reference to a registered sex offender in
conjunction with images of children in an ad for children's theatre
was likely to cause serious or widespread offence," the ASA said.