Bath gets steamed up over taxi cab bikini ad

It is the sort of advertising campaign which might have caused affront for being too raunchy back in the Fifties.

But 45 years after the mini-skirt became the defining fashion symbol of Swinging London in the Sixties, bare flesh on the side of taxis in Bath has been ruffling feathers at the Guildhall.

The advertising campaign by a media agency, which features bikini-clad beauties and swimming-trunk-wearing hunks with rippling six-packs was dubbed "inappropriate" and too risque for Georgian Bath by stuffy licensing officials.

It's certainly a far cry from the image the city likes to promote, of the more innocent days of its most famous former visitor Jane Austen, whose heroines were always much more modestly dressed.

The firm behind the campaign, Holidaylettings.co.uk, said the prudish council had even initially suggested covering the man and woman's bodies with T-shirts and shorts in some form of body censorship.

But now in an embarrassing climb-down, after the dumbstruck firm informed the Western Daily Press its campaign had been rejected, Bath and North East Somerset Council has agreed to allow the images to be plastered over hackney cabs driving around the city.

The images advertise a firm marketing second homes as holiday accommodation and were successfully launched in London in January and were designed by MarkMaking.

Working on behalf of the holiday firm, Transport Media was told by the council the marketing campaign could not be extended to Bath.

In an email, the council's senior licensing officer, John Dowding, wrote: "Having discussed the artwork with my manager, it has been deemed the proposal is inappropriate for licensed vehicles."

But, just hours after holidaylettings.co.uk contacted the Western Daily Press, the council went on the record to admit the decision had been reversed.

In a statement a council spokesman said: "After an internal review, Bath and North East Somerset Council has agreed the advertising covers the bare essentials of our licensing requirements. The council has written to holidaylettings.co.uk to give consent for its taxi advertising scheme."

The adverts should be seen later this month, with other cities such as Cardiff, Edinburgh and Oxford included in the campaign. The campaign aims to market the firm's holiday home accommodation options and uses the phrase "escape the rat race".

The firm says its booking inquiries are up by 30 per cent this year as people opt for self-catering accommodation to save money.