Norwich PrimEvil Halloween clown ad was 'irresponsible'

PrimEvil's organisers removed a number of posters following complaints about the advert outside a shop in Rackheath, near Norwich

An advert featuring a "menacing" clown with glowing red eyes was likely to distress children and was "irresponsibly targeted", a watchdog has ruled.

PrimEvil's poster for its Halloween attraction near Norwich was displayed around the city, including near schools, in September and October.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints about it.

Goymour Properties, which ran PrimEvil, has apologised.

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The 6ft-high adverts featured the head and shoulders of a white-faced clown under the heading "PrimEvil. Screaming won't help!"

'Blood down face'

Some of the 23 complainants reported their children became "very distressed on seeing the image", the ASA said.

The watchdog's findings noted the clown's "menacing expression", red glowing eyes, blood-soaked face and the fact it was "leaning towards the camera".

"The overall presentation of the image was likely to distress young children, particularly but not only in combination with the text - which was presented as though it was written in blood," it said.

It concluded the advert was likely to cause fear or distress without justifiable reason and had been irresponsibly targeted.

The ASA ruled the advert must not appear again, and said Goymour Properties must ensure its marketing does not cause fear or distress without justifiable reason.

It acknowledged one poster, outside a shop in Rackheath, had been removed and 12 others replaced after complaints were received.

'Daughter a sissy'

Mother-of-three Johannah Martin, of Rackheath, had faced a backlash on Facebook when she complained about the advert and urged others to do the same.

"I got so many negative comments from lots of parents saying I was really over-the-top and my daughter was a sissy for being scared," she said.

"I'm really glad an external body that sees that kind of imagery all the time has agreed with me."

Martin Goymour said his firm would submit adverts to the ASA before distributing them.

The firm had previously said the poster did not contravene advertising standards.

The attraction, for over-12s, featured themed zones, such as a haunted hotel, at the Lenwade Dinosaur Park.