A WORCESTER headteacher has won his campaign to have a controversial advertising hoarding close to his school gates removed.
Elgar Technology College head, Dr Graham Watts, complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in July about the Pot Noodle advert - by the Bilford Road railway bridge and Lidl supermarket - claiming it was offensive.
He was among nearly 300 people nationwide to object to the poster, carrying the slogan "hurt me you slag".
The advertising watchdog today upheld the complaints, stating that "because of its sexual implication of sexual violence, the slogan was unsuitable for use in an advert in any medium".
In its adjudication, the ASA said the poster, for the snack's Hot Noodle, Bombay Bad Boy flavour, was likely to cause "serious or widespread offence".
Unilever Bestfoods, the makers of the popular snack, denied that the use of the word "slag" was a deliberate attempt to be controversial.
The firm said it was unable to use an alternative poster in 30 per cent of the places where the offending advertisement appeared, but has now agreed to remove them.
Dr Watts was unavailable for comment today, but when the poster went up he said it sent the wrong message to students.
"Here, we are desperately trying to invest a great deal of time in raising standards and posters like this are doing nothing to help that," he said.
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