A COMPLAINT about a racy billboard poster advertising a "fashion and passion" store in Suffolk has been rejected by an industry watchdog.The advert for the Ann Summers shop in Ipswich, was cleared by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) which ruled it did not cause "serious or widespread" offence.

A COMPLAINT about a racy billboard poster advertising a "fashion and passion" store in Suffolk has been rejected by an industry watchdog.

The advert for the Ann Summers shop in Ipswich, was cleared by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) which ruled it did not cause "serious or widespread" offence.

It was posted in Grimwade Street and featured a photograph of a woman sitting down with her legs apart and a whip in her hand with the slogan: "Whipswich… for fashion and passion whip along to your local store."

The ASA received a complaint about the advert, claiming it encouraged sexual violence and was not suitable for public display.

But it dismissed the complaint, ruling the advert was suitable for use as a poster as it did not encourage sexual violence and was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

A spokesman for Ann Summers said the poster had been on display in Ipswich until a promotional campaign ended on February 14.

"We had a fantastic reaction from the people of Ipswich about the advert. It was a light-hearted campaign and in no way whatsoever was that complaint justified," he said.

"Our company aims to give women sexual confidence and we always show women in control of their sexuality."

But he added the chain was disappointed that a poster advertising a store in the North West had been banned by the ASA because it was considered to be degrading to women.

It showed the back of a woman's torso, from her shoulders to her thighs. She was wearing a bra and a thong and her hands were handcuffed behind her back.

The photograph was accompanied by the words: "Lancashire hotbot… for fashion and passion whip along to your local store."

It also appeared in regional newspapers and sparked 22 complaints from Lancashire to the ASA.

The ASA, after an investigation, rejected complaints that the photograph was likely to incite violence towards women but ruled it was degrading for women, was likely to cause "serious or widespread offence" and was unsuitable for use on a poster.