This advert has been banned because it's scaring the hell out of children

Someone alert Partridge - there’s trouble afoot in Norwich City Centre which doesn’t involve pedestrianisation.

Following an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority, an ad featuring an evil-looking clown has been banned from ever appearing again after it scared the hell out of children - and adults.

Receiving 23 complaints, ASA said the ad which went up across the city to promote Halloween attractions “must not appear again in its current form”, noting that the clown was "leaning towards the camera and grinning with a menacing expression, that its eyes glowed red and blood dripped down its face, and that its eyes and forehead were stitched."

Those are the the tell-tale marks of an evil clown all right, which appeared next to the slogan ‘PRIMEVIL. SCREAMING WON'T HELP!' 

Perhaps not, but complaining on social media has, with one disgruntled local, Johannah Martin NeeTurner, writing on Facebook about the horror she faced:

"These boards are popping up all over Norwich and I think that they are completely inappropriate. My three year old was so upset as we approached our local post office where I might add most of the children from the primary school will either go past or visit.

"If you choose to take your child into a shop to look at horrific masks and outfits then that is your choice," she continued. "We had no choice but to see this. We all work hard to protect our children with what they eat, what they watch etc. So why is it ok to subject them to this just because it is Halloween?”

No word on what Norfolk’s circus community will make of it all, but we can bet it won’t be good.

[Via Mashable]

[Image: Facebook Rackheath Community]