Burger van Madeleine McCann

Adverts by a takeaway firm featuring Madeleine McCann were likely to cause distress and offence, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

On Father's Day last year it posted images of well-known serial killers. and "Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there". It said it had told the company to ensure the ads did not reappear.

Adverts posted on social media over Mother's Day for a burger company showing a child depicted as Madeleine McCann being carried away by a running man have ...

We considered the images of them would be instantly recognisable to many people. They also undertook a broader review of the Instagram account, removed further content and placed restrictions on the account. They also said the image was a meme and there was no product placement, so it was not advertising.

Madeleine McCann, who was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007, was featured in the advert for a burger ...

The Mother's Day timing of the posts 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 watchdog said. What's the worst that could happen?" "We further considered that any reference to a missing child was likely to be distressing and that in the context of an ad promoting a burger company the distress caused was unjustified," the authority added.

The Advertising Standards Authority took action after receiving complaints about the adverts by The Otley Burger Company in West Yorkshire.

Twitter said the tweet had been deleted. Others claimed it was ‘just a bit of fun’. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.’ What’s the worst that could happen. It further noted the timing of posting it on Mother’s Day ‘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’. ‘We further considered that any reference to a missing child was likely to be distressing, and that in the context of an ad promoting a burger company the distress caused was unjustified.’

Posts on The Otley Burger Company's social media accounts on March 27 read: 'With burgers this good, you'll leave your kids at home. What's the worst that ...

We considered the images of them would be instantly recognisable to many people. They also undertook a broader review of the Instagram account, removed further content and placed restrictions on the account. What's the worst that could happen."

Leeds-based Otley Burger Company posted a number of adverts on social media featuring the missing child to coincide with Mother's Day. The ASA said it had ...

On Father's Day last year it posted images of well-known serial killers. and "Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there". It said it had told the company to ensure the ads did not reappear.

Maddie disappeared from her parents' apartment in Portugal in 2007 and has not been seen since.

"They said that all ads had been removed and would not be appearing again. She’s a mum, there’s one there." "She [Kate McCann] is a mum. It read: "With burgers this good, you’ll leave your kids at home. "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. In a statement, the ASA said: "We considered that in combination with the images, the posting of the ads on that date [27 March] was intended to further add to the shock factor and offensive nature of the ads.

An advert for a burger van making light of the Madeleine McCann case to promote a Mother's Day sale has been banned for causing offence.

“I don’t really have a message to them [those offended]. Maybe LOL? It’s a good laugh, isn’t it? What’s the worst that could happen [sic] Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.” The Mother’s Day timing of the posts 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.”