A "DISGUSTING" billboard advertising an energy drink called "pussy" has been taken down after complaints from residents.
Pussy Drinks sparked anger with its sign, in Duppas Hill Road, Waddon, which had the drink's name in big letters accompanied by the tagline "The drink's pure, it's your mind that's the problem".
The sign has been removed after Addiscombe beekeeper Susan Oliver complained directly to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), along with 155 others nationally.
However, in its response to the ASA, the drinks company provided a list of tongue-in-cheek reasons in their objection to the complaint.
It questioned which religion would be offended by the name of their drink, saying that ancient Egyptians used to worship cats.
The company also cited the definition from the Oxford English Dictionary, which said the word pussy meant "a cat, particularly a kitten".
It said cats possessed all the appropriate symbolism for its product and that Pussy Drinks was cool, beautiful, feline and natural, with attitude.
Mrs Oliver, 47, who is originally from Vermont in the US, slammed the company's response.
She said: "That was completely disingenuous. They are attacking women, there's no doubt about it. I can't even say that word. It's such a blatant reference to female genitalia."
Although the billboard has been removed, the ruling by the ASA does not oblige the company to take the sign down.
Mrs Oliver also contacted the council in her efforts to get the sign taken down.
She said: "It passed the buck straight away and I am not happy with its response. Even if it isn't the council's direct responsibility, you'd think they would try to stop this sort of advertising from appearing on our streets."
The ASA upheld complaints made on the grounds of the words' derogatory and sexist meaning, while also noting the adverts should not be allowed in areas that children can see them. Mrs Oliver now suggests the product should not be allowed for sale in shops.
She added: "Really, this sort of drink should have to be sold in a porn shop.
"It's not just females though, there's this sort of blatant advertising with products like Nobby's Nuts for males.
"I know the company think it's a big joke, but advertisers should be more responsible, especially with women in the world on the receiving end of so much pain and suffering."
Pussy Drinks refused to comment on the ASA's ruling.
