You'll have to pay for insult (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

You'll have to pay for insult

Mayor Ray FisherSWINDON AND PROUD OF IT: HEINZ is going to have to pay for insulting our town.

That is the message from council leader Mike Bawden.

He believes that the food manufacturing giant should have to pay at least £10,000 for the criticism implied in a radio ad for Heinz Salad Cream.

In the advertisement a mum says: "If salad cream's not just for salad, are birdbaths just for birds?

"Like shoe racks, just for shoes or could they rack up Swindon's most wanted into an orderly queue of shame?"

Mr Bawden said: "We're looking for a five-figure sum.

"First we have to prove they haven't a case.

"We are asking the police to put it in writing.

"I think the advertisement is totally inappropriate. They haven't got any evidence and they haven't done their homework. We've got to pursue this."

Coun Bawden said the money would go to the mayor's Helping Hand Fund. In Saturday's Evening Advertiser we reported that Coun Bawden was calling on anyone who shares his opinion to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority.

One of the first to do so was Swindon Mayor Ray Fisher.

He has written to the authority, which ensures that advertising meets standards laid down in advertising codes.

He believes the Heinz advertisement is defamatory, and has asked the authority to act immediately to remove the advertisement which he says implies that "Swindon has a worse than average list of shameful 'most wanted'."

He said: "Swindon is a great place to be, which enjoys comparitely very low crime rates.

"Heinz need to act very positively to repair the huge damage done to our town by this very unfunny promotion."

"Ironically, we have half a bottle of this very product in our refrigerator at home.

"It did not need a ridiculous, incorrect and insulting advertisement to sell it to us."

Coun Fisher's letter to Heinz concluded: "Please consider very carefully how you wish to respond to this.

"I am very upset by it and will not wish to hear that you consider it amusing."

Michael Mullen, Heinz's director of European corporate affairs, said: "Heinz is bemused by this suggestion, and would reiterate that the ad campaign is a humorous one and was in no way intended to cause offence."

Dave Andrew