‘Irresponsible’ advert for the police banned

A POLICE TV advert has been banned after it suggested hearing a crying baby is not a reason to call 999.

Surrey Police wanted viewers to rethink emergency calls.

The advert depicted a child crying, heard through a wall, with text showing the words ‘noisy’ and ‘abused’, and added: ‘Not all calls are policing matters. To report noisy neighbours, contact your council.’

A complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency said noise from children crying could be a sign they are in danger.

The ASA ruled that the ad was ‘ambiguous’ and must not appear again in the same form. ‘Given the specific example used and the potential outcomes of failing to report suspected child abuse, we concluded that the ad was socially irresponsible,’ it said.