A COUNCILLOR has won his personal battle to have a steamy advertisement banned from television screens.

Bill Goldsmith, a member of Hyndburn Council, was so angry about the advert for Accurist watches he wrote to the Independent Television Commission.

And the ITC have now replied to the furious Oswaldtwistle councillor and magistrate to tell him they have have upheld his complaint.

The advert was shown on television just before Christmas and featured a young couple making love on a bed.

The man then presents his lover with a watch and a voice-over says: "He who gives an Accurist this Christmas gets what he wants".

In a second, similar commercial the same woman turned into a leering hag accompanied by the line: "He who doesn't give the Accurist deserves everything he gets".

Coun Goldsmith said: "I am not a prude and this advert went out after the watershed.

"I do not find the sex offensive, it is the implication behind the advert which really upset me

"This advert sees women as prostitutes and it belongs in the gutter."

The angry councillor added: "I am a grandparent and I would hate to think that young people are picking up attitudes as offensive as these from television.

"What this advert seemed to be saying is that if you are a young attractive women you can get what you want by having sex with people."

The ITC received a large number of complaints about the campaign and the television authority admitted permission to screen the adverts was originally given with "strong reservations".

A spokesman for the commission said: "The Accurist campaign attracted a large number of complaints and it has taken some time to investigate the issues raised.

"The majority of the complainants found the advertisements offensive, either because of the implication that women's sexual favours could be bought for the price of a watch or because of a perceived denigration of women.

"The ITC agreed that, on both grounds complained of, the advertisements were likely to have caused widespread offence."

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