The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld its ruling on The Otley Burger Company and its 'offensive' Mother's Day advertising, which used images of missing child Madeleine McCann and mother Kate McCann.
On Sunday 27 March 2022, The Otley Burger Company posted a photograph of Kate McCann with missing daughter Madeleine in the background, adding a text overlay which 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”.
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'.
The watchdog said it had received three complaints about the adverts, which were upheld.
This morning, the ASA 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 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.
"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.
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."
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
Leeds
Leeds restaurant crowned one of the best local restaurants in Britain just three months after opening
The Good Food Guide has just released its list of the 100 best local restaurants in Britain – and three Leeds spots have made the list.
The latest edition of the Best 100 Local Restaurants list celebrates the very best venues that are loved by their communities.
A team of reviewers and inspectors scour the country to find the best of the best, and this year three restaurants in Leeds have earned themselves a place on the numbered list.
One in particular has been included just three months after opening.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The Smithfield opened in April taking over the old Reliance space on North Street, and it's safe to say they had very big shoes to fill.
But they have done with ease, celebrating Yorkshire produce to a crowd that are overjoyed to see the space being brought back to life.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Here's what the Good Food Guide had to say after awarding The Smithfield with 80th place: "Opening in one of the city’s most hallowed restaurant sites was always going to invite comparison. In its day, the Reliance was a much-loved neighbourhood haunt that became the gateway drug for a generation of Leeds foodies, and a return to its burgundy paint job was a statement of intent from its new owners.
"Head chef James Donovan's CV includes Clerkenwell's Rochelle Canteen, and you don't have to do much dusting to see the Fergus and Margot Henderson's nose-to-tail fingerprints: pig's head, ox heart, hogget, and a meritocratic approach to the menu with produce leading the way – occasionally nudged along by a well-timed dollop of gribiche or a slick of bisque."
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Elsewhere on the list, it won't come as a surprise to see that the ever-so-brilliant Bavette has been crowned in 16th place. Described as a "convivial neighbourhood bistro in the northerly suburb of Horsforth" that perfectly exudes a "Franco-Yorkshire alliance".
And lastly for Leeds, the ultra-cool Empire Cafe takes spot 31 where "owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton have done a grand job here, rekindling the nostalgia while making the place feel emphatically of the moment, 'high-class yet down-to-earth'."
It's a trio of great wins for Leeds' foodie scene, and you can read the full list here.
England World Cup semi-final to be shown at Leeds’ Millennium Square as giant fanzone announced
Clementine Hall
Football's coming home to Millennium Square as England take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.
If you're still looking for a spot to cheer on the boys in the football this Wednesday then hang fire, because Leeds City Council have got us covered.
Following the Three Lions’ triumphant victory against Norway on Saturday evening, the council have announced that Millennium Square will host a World Cup 2026 fanzone at the heart of Leeds city centre.
Supporters will have the chance to cheer on star boy Jude Bellingham and the team with all the action shown live on a high-definition giant LED screen with concert style sound, all set within a bespoke outdoor arena.
Two large bars and street food concessions will be provided on site together with toilet and drinking water facilities.
Entry is strictly by advance ticket only and is a standing only event. Gates open at 6pm with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST with live DJ pre match entertainment.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy said “The whole country is behind England and it’s fantastic that fans will have the chance to come together and enjoy this incredible occasion in the open air at the heart of the city centre.
"The atmosphere on Millennium Square is always a one-of-a-kind and probably the closest you can get to being there. Leeds is a city that’s always had a massive passion for sport, and I know the fans will do England proud as we cheer them on in what will hopefully be another memorable win.”
Tickets are priced at £6 per person an go on sale at 10am on Monday 13 July via www.millsqleeds.com.
The Hoot -
20th April 2022 
