M&S advert banned by watchdog for promoting 'unhealthily thin' model
M&S has come under fire for an online fashion advert. It has since been pulled following criticism from the UK's advertising watchdog.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed it was "irresponsible" for M&S to utilise the image in question to advertise its clothes on its mobile app, as it showed an "unhealthily thin" model.
Condemning the ad, the ASA advised that the model, wearing slim-fit trousers and a white top, "appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs".
It also observed the camera angles made the model's head appear disproportionate and "highlighted her small frame", reports the Mirror.
The ASA determined: "Therefore, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing meant the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin".
Following the prohibition, Marks and Spencer expressed remorse for any distress caused and swiftly removed the image. A representative for the retailer stated: "Our womenswear sizing ranges from size 8 to 24 and we always want to reflect that in our advertising."
They added: "The product images on our website feature models of varying sizes so we can appeal to all our customers, however following the ASA guidance, we have removed this particular image from our website and apologise for any offence caused."
Whilst three additional images were flagged to the ASA by worried shoppers, the authority did not deem these to be in breach, therefore no further action against the high street giant was pursued.
It comes as four individuals have been apprehended by the police in connection with cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op, and Harrods.
The arrests encompass three teenagers – a 17 year old British lad from the West Midlands, a 19 year old Latvian man also from the West Midlands, a 19 year old British chap from London – and a 20 year old British woman from Staffordshire.
The suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences related to the Computer Misuse Act, and involvement in the activities of an organised crime group. All four remain in custody.
Paul Foster, who leads the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, commented: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency's highest priorities."
He continued: "Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice."
Following the cyber attack, which occurred over the Easter weekend and disrupted contactless payments in stores as well as click and collect orders, M&S had to temporarily close its online shop.
It was subsequently revealed that customer data was compromised, including names, email addresses, physical addresses, and dates of birth; however, card or payment details were not affected.
The head of M&S provided an update last week, stating that the remainder of its online operations should be back up and running by next month. The supermarket began to resume online orders in June, but some services are yet to return to normal.
For instance, customers are still unable to place orders for click and collect or next day delivery. Furthermore, M&S is not currently delivering to Northern Ireland.
Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, anticipates these services will be fully operational from August.
Addressing shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he stated: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Will of man believed to be Stakeknife will not be made public, High Court rules
Freddie Scappaticci, who changed his name to Frank Cowley in 2020, was believed to be Britain's top agent inside the IRA. Scappaticci, from west Belfast, had always denied the claims before his death aged 77 in 2023. In a ruling on Monday, Sir Julian Flaux ordered that Scappaticci's will should be sealed for 70 years, meaning that its contents will not be made public. The judge said that this is the first time, except for members of the royal family, where a court has ordered that a will not be made open to public inspection in the way the document would usually be. He said: 'There is nothing in the will, which is in fairly standard form, which could conceivably be of interest to the public or the media.' A hearing to decide whether the will should be sealed was held on July 21 and was closed to the public and the media. Barristers for the Attorney General, who represents the public interest in such matters, supported the will being sealed at the hearing in London, Sir Julian said. The court heard that a man named Michael Johnson was prepared to represent Scappaticci's interests provided that the will was sealed. Christopher Buckley, representing Mr Johnson, said that making Scappaticci's will publicly available would be 'undesirable' and 'inappropriate', and that Mr Johnson feared his life being put at risk if the will was made open to inspection. Sir Julian said that there was 'the need to protect (Mr Johnson) and those named in the will from the real risk of serious physical harm or even death because they might be thought to be guilty by association' with Scappaticci. Jon Boutcher authored the interim report into the findings of Operation Kenova (Liam McBurney/PA) He said: 'The real risk to his life and wellbeing which the deceased faced in his lifetime is amply demonstrated.' He continued: 'Publication of the will would be both undesirable and inappropriate.' The judge concluded that holding the hearing in public would have 'defeated the whole object' of the bid to have the will sealed. Sir Julian said in his 18-page ruling that Scappaticci was alleged to have been a leading member of the Provisional IRA, and was part of the 'Nutting Squad' from around 1980 until the mid-1990s, which interrogated suspected informers during the Troubles. In 2003, media reports claimed that Scappaticci had spied on the IRA for the British government, and that while working for both organisations, 'was responsible for the torture and murder of dozens of alleged IRA informers'. Scappaticci always denied the claim but failed in a legal bid to force the British government to publicly state that he was not Stakeknife, forcing him to move to England in 2003. Sir Julian said: 'He could not have remained in Northern Ireland, as he could have been killed by one side or the other. 'Even after he moved to England and changed his name, he continued to receive death threats. 'Such was their nature that he had to relocate at short notice several times over the years.' Operation Kenova was then launched to probe the activities of Stakeknife within the Provisional IRA and crimes such as murder and torture, as well as the role played by the security services. The probe, which was undertaken by Bedfordshire Police and cost tens of millions of pounds, reported its interim findings last year, after Scappaticci's death. While it stopped short of naming him as Stakeknife, it found that more lives were probably lost than saved by the agent's actions. The former Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police and author of the interim report, Jon Boutcher, said that the identity of Stakeknife 'will have to be confirmed at some point' but that he would 'have to leave this to my final report'. He said: 'For now, it suffices to say that Mr Scappaticci was and still is inextricably bound up with and a critical person of interest at the heart of Operation Kenova.' He continued: 'I believe that we found strong evidence of very serious criminality on the part of Mr Scappaticci and his prosecution would have been in the interests of victims, families and justice.' Prosecutors said at the time the interim report was published that the examination of files containing evidence of serious criminality by Scappaticci was at an advanced stage at the time of his death.
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit comedian Cerys Nelmes arrested in Turkey facing up to three years behind bars
Cerys Nelmes, a stand-up comic from Bristol, claims that she accidentally walked out of a Zara shop in Turkey without paying and although returning and owning up to her error, she was arrested A British comedian faces up to three years behind bars after she accidentally walked out of a Zara store without paying in Turkey, despite going back to apologise when she realised her mistake. Cerys Nelmes, a stand-up comic from Bristol, said it was a mistake and claimed she absentmindedly left the store with clothes before realising she had not gone through the till on July 22. After returning to the store to hand back the items and offering to pay, Nelmes says she was instead detained, locked in a room for hours without explanation, and eventually arrested for shoplifting. She said she was taken to a police station, pressured to sign documents in a language she could not read, and held in a cell for 24 hours with no food, water or a toilet. She said: "I was told they didn't understand me." The next day, she was brought before a judge who released her but banned her from leaving the country. She now faces a potential three-year sentence as the case proceeds. Nelmes says she is stranded in Turkey, unable to afford accommodation and missing out on work back home, putting her and her son at risk of losing their UK home. She said: "I'm ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who gave me food and a bed. I don't deserve all the kind words from people but I am very grateful." Recounting what happened, she said that she had left the store with several items of clothing before realising her error. Despite returning to the store, claiming she had returned the items and wanted to pay, Nelmes was seized for shoplifting. The English stand-up comic, who is one of the rising names on the Bristol comedy scene, explained the incident in a social media post saying: "On Tuesday I left a Zara store in Istanbul without paying for items. "I returned straight away and handed the items to staff. I was asked to pay and I said I would and the manager accepted this. To cut a long story short I was then taken to a locked room where hours later after no communication from anyone I was taken away by police and held in a police station and was asked to sign things I couldn't read. "I was put in a prison cell for 24 hours with no food or toilet facilities. When I asked for water, I was told they didn't understand me." The comedian has asked for public support as the ongoing court proceedings are causing her to lose work and earnings. The British Embassy said in a short statement that they are providing their support.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mystery as Brit tourist goes missing on rowing boat after setting off to visit ancient Turkish tombs
Turkish authorities have launched a search for a missing 79-year-old British national who set off by boat to visit the ancient tombs of Kaunos in Turkey on July 26 and has not been heard from since. The elderly man was reported missing by his daughter - also a British citizen - who alerted the Köyceğiz District Gendarmerie Command of her father's disappearance, according to local media. As per the daughter's report, the two had travelled to Çandır, a village in Muğla's Köyceğiz district in southwestern Turkey, for a holiday together. At 10:30 am, her father began a trip by rowboat to the nearby rock-cut temple tombs of Kaunos, also known as the Lycian rock tombs, but she lost contact with him and has not heard from his since. Following his daughter's report, Turkish authorities have launched a search for the man with a 19-person team, consisting of the Köyceğiz Gendarmerie District Command, Muğla AFAD and an NGO. Between Dalyan and Kaunos, there are more than 150 rock-cut tombs marking the resting place of the Lycian elite. Found on the banks of the Dalyan River, the burial sites date back to the 4th century BC and can be viewed from the water via boat trips. The impressive ruins of the ancient trading city of Kaunos be found across the river from the cliffs, in modern-day Dalyan. The archeological site has many well-preserved structures, including a Hellenistic theatre, a Roman bath, and temples. The rock-cut facades of the graves resemble the fronts of Hellenistic temples, complete with a pair of Ionian pillars, a triangular pediment, and an architrave with toothed friezes, according to the World Heritage Convention.
