SWIMWEAR POSTER GETS MATALAN IN HOT WATER

01-05-2008

Posters of women in bathing suits have been taken down in the last 24 hours after being defaced in Birmingham’s predominantly Muslim suburb of Sparkbrook. Now a city councillor wants to establish a committee with powers to censor advertising hoardings.

The Birmingham Mail reported last night that the billboard on the corner of Golden Hillock Road and Sydenham Road had been vandalised after outraging members of the community (http://tinyurl.com/4se6df)

Independent councillor Talib Hussain (once a Liberal Democrat cabinet member) who spoke out against the pictures is claiming victory after they were hastily removed.

He told The Stirrer today: “The posters have been replaced now, but I’m disgusted because they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

"There was a similar issue last year when there was an advert with a woman showing her half naked body, and a lot of residents complained about this one to Matalan and the city council.

"It's disgraceful that it was there, because they know this is a sensitive ward, where the majority are of the Muslim faith.  It's like they are provoking and spitting on the faith."

Hussain emphasised that he disagreed with vandalising the hoardings, saying “I condemn it, it’s not the way to go, I’m totally against taking the law into your own hands.”

But he added: “The City Council could play a major role and have a committee to censor what posters should be approved and which ones should not.”