Anti-abortion advert attacked

The campaigners have been criticised before

An anti-abortion group which sent leaflets with pictures of aborted babies to people has been criticised by an advertising watchdog.

Complaints from three people were upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority which ruled the leaflets were likely to cause serious offence.

The UK Life League was told to stop distributing the leaflet.

The ASA said it was concerned at the group's lack of co-operation with its inquiries.

The leaflets were headed: "RIP. In memory of the six million unborn British babies murdered by abortion since 1967".

An accompanying letter read: "I hope you can forgive the intrusion and perhaps the shock caused by the horrible images".

Shocking intention

People complained they found the leaflets offensive and unduly distressing.

UK Life League told the ASA the campaign had been intended to shock and upset people and it had a right to show the pictures.

But the ASA ruled society had the right to be protected against advertisements that caused serious offence or distress.

It told the advertisers to cease distribution of the leaflets and has begun steps to prevent their being sent out in future.

Last year the UK Life League was told not to repeat an "offensive" advertisement that appeared in a religious newspaper.

It had used, among other terms, "teenage sex clinics" and "death mills" in the advert which appeared in the Diocese of Sheffield, Diocesan News.

The ASA upheld a complaint from a member of the public who had been offended by the advertisement.

The UK Life League had argued the advertisement only appeared in Catholic publications and Catholicism was a religion whose position on abortion was well-known.