A SCHOOL has had a complaint about alcohol advertising on a series of bus shelters used by its pupils upheld by the Advertising Standards Agency.

Andrew Wright, assistant deputy headmaster of John Hampden Grammar School, wrote to the ASA last month about the Carling lager adverts.

The ‘out of this world’ campaign posters were plastered over the Marlow Hill bus stops which are almost exclusively used by pupils from John Hampden and Wycombe High School.

Mr Wright said alcohol advertisers had a legal and moral obligation not to target youngsters, adding the Carling advert “undermined” some of the work it was doing within the school to prevent under-age drinking.

The ASA has announced the complaint had been upheld.

It said: “We have been in contact with the advertiser as we agreed the majority of the audience for this poster site were likely to be under 18.

“CAP Code rule 18.15 states: 'Marketing communications must not be directed at people under 18 through the selection of media or the context in which they appear.

"'No medium should be used to advertise alcoholic drinks if more than 25% of its audience is under 18 years of age'. We considered that this rule had been breached.

“The advertiser has confirmed the ad has been removed and the site blacklisted from future alcohol promotions.”

Mr Wright also complained about a series of KFC adverts at the bus stops but the ASA has yet to make a ruling in that case.