Agency fights back on boards after being accused of “taking the mickey”

An estate agency accused of “taking the mickey” over the number of boards it has erected has fought back.

The mayor of Christchurch in Dorset, councillor Lesley Dedman, spoke out after seeing several boards advertising a local food festival - the boards were provided by Saxe Coburg in Canford Cliffs.

The agency is sponsoring the festival.

The mayor told the local daily Echo: “These posters are springing up everywhere now. At first glance it looks as though they are promoting Saxe Coburg rather than the actual food festival. It’s taking the mickey, because some local traders around here get into trouble just for putting an A-board outside their shops.”

However Julian Hewlett, area manager for Saxe Coburg, told the same paper: “We do feel a little aggrieved about all this because we did ask permission to promote it and the festival organisers gave us authorisation.

“It’s not as if it was just done for selfish motives. We want to promote the festival which is an important event. The boards weren’t going to be there for long – it was just to help build awareness in the run up to the festival which is only a couple of weeks away.”

Festival spokeswoman Sue Harmon-Smith is also quoted, saying her organisation had not had any complaints about the posters but a planning officer for the local council told the Echo: “We have been made aware of unauthorised adverts being posted in Christchurch and have asked the company to remove the boards. They have informed us that this will be actioned this as soon as possible.”