A Mother’s Day advert that featured missing child Madeleine McCann has been deemed ‘offensive’ and banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
They were shared alongside a message that read: “With burgers this good, you’ll leave your kids at home. What’s the worst that could happen? Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.”
The ASA has now upheld three complaints it received about the post and said that the Otley Burger Company’s posts ‘trivialised the circumstances surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance and made light of a distressing news story concerning reports of child abduction and serious crime’, The Hoot reports.
There were similar copies of the advert (which the owner stated ‘is not an advert …’ in its caption) on Facebook and Twitter – all of have been deemed ‘likely to cause distress’.
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The Mother’s Day advert, which featured a photo of Madeleine McCann, has been banned. Image: The Otley Burger Company
The watchdog said: “The ASA considered the nature of the content to be of such a concern that we asked the relevant social media platforms to remove the content and suspend the account pending our investigation.
“The Otley Burger Company said that they would not use photos of Kate McCann in that manner again or superimpose images of Madeleine McCann being kidnapped. They said that all ads had been removed and would not be appearing again. They also said the image was a meme and there was no product placement, so it was not advertising.
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“Meta stated that they had reviewed the content in the Instagram post and had removed it for violating their policies. They undertook a broader review of the Instagram account, removed further content and placed restrictions on the account.
“Twitter said the tweet had been deleted.”
Since the controversial social media posts were published, the Leeds takeaway owner has received backlash, including for the comments made on Mother’s Day where the business uses an offensive Madeleine McCann.
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Madeleine McCann was abducted whilst on holiday with her family in 2007 and has remained a high-profile missing person case around the world ever since. / Image: Gideon, Flickr
On Instagram, arguments broke out about the post with some suggesting the meme-style advertisement was uncalled for: “Let’s start a PR stunt using someone else’s dead daughter. [You’re] just a greasy burger flipper stay in your lane”.
Other said: “Madeleine McCann and her mum in this post ? Seems a bit sick and in very poor taste” to which the Otley Burger Company, clearly unphased, replied “only thing sick here is our photoshopping skillz”.
The ASA took the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance into account, along with the date – Mother’s Day – that the images were posted.
Their statement continued: “We noted that the ads were all posted on 27 March 2022 which was Mother’s Day. We considered that in combination with the images, the posting of the ads on that date was intended to further add to the shock factor and offensive nature of the ads. We also considered it was likely to have compounded the distress of those who saw the ads, and particularly for those who may have experienced the disappearance of a child.”
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The Otley Burger Company has been told not to republish the advertisements to avoid ‘causing serious and widespread offence and distress’.
The Otley Burger Company has not yet publicly comment on the ruling.
Feature Image- The Otley Burger Company
News
Peter Kay announces four intimate charity shows in Greater Manchester – but only for these postcodes
Emily Sergeant
Peter Kay has just announced four intimate shows to raise money for a very worthy cause… but you can only get tickets if you live in these particular postcodes.
Comedy legend Peter Kay is set to return home to the Bolton Albert Halls for four very special hometown shows in this summer, marking his first performances at the venue more than two decades.
Taking to the very stage where he recorded the UK’s biggest-selling stand-up DVD, it’s set to be a proper nostalgic homecoming for one of Britain’s most beloved comedians.
The summer shows – which are taking place from 9 – 11 July 2026, even including a matinee performance – this is a rare chance for local fans to be part of something incredibly special, with all funds raised going to Bolton Hospice.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… you’ll only be able to get tickets if you live in Bolton (and some parts of Bury), as it’s strictly limited to BL postcodes.
Peter Kay Live at the Bolton Albert Halls – 2026 Dates
Thursday 9 July (Evening)
Friday 10 July (Evening)
Saturday 11 July (Matinee)
Saturday 11 July (Evening)
Tickets officially go on sale Friday 24 April at 10am, and you can get your hands on them here.
Featured Image – Supplied
News
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has revealed that seven in 10 NHS workers believe the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic if one should arise.
After the recent meningitis B outbreak in Kent last month raised the conversation of mass contagion once again, of course following the COVID-19 pandemic, a new YouGov survey of more than 1,000 NHS workers has now uncovered how well prepared staff in the health service think it is for another global pandemic.
The results show that 69% of staff surveyed think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic, and to make matters worse, 26% of those even say it’s ‘very poorly’ prepared.
Only one in five (22%) think the NHS is could properly handle another pandemic, but statistically, YouGov claims none of those surveyed said it’s ‘very well’ prepared.
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic / Credit: Pxhere | Rawpixel
When workers were asked how the NHS’s level of preparedness now compares to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 41% did concede that they think it is better prepared now than 2020, however 37% admitted they think it’s no better prepared.
16% actively think it’s less well-prepared now than it was prior to 2020.
This marked a new era of ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ in the NHS, with the league tables delivering on the Government’s promise to drive up standards, tackle variation in care, and ensure people get the high-quality service they rightly expect.
Every trust in England – from urgent and emergency care, through to elective operations and mental health services – will now be ranked quarterly against ‘clear and consistent’ standards.
Sophie Smith -
20th April 2022 
