A poster which has caused an uproar among the Little Horton community for delivering a drugs message just yards from a Bradford school has been blacked out.

Francis Goodwin, managing of director of Maiden, the company which owns the hoarding board in Little Horton Lane, said it took the complaints very seriously.

The move comes after a barrage of opposition from John Player, head teacher of nearby Grange Upper School, in Haycliffe Lane, St Oswald's CE school, Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood and residents. The billboard is advertising new male magazine Later and reads: "Get some coke for Jamie's party". Underneath it contains a tickbox for one gram or two litres.

Protesters say the message is a clear reference to the drug cocaine.

Mr Goodwin said: "We do act when people complain and we will be taking action in this case."

Mr Player said he was delighted that the offending words had been removed, but added that 14 other posters were still being displayed across the city.

"This one may have been removed but children will see it elsewhere.''

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority said it had already received eight complaints on this issue. They would be examined and investigated.

But a spokesman for publishers IPC said it had not received one complaint on the matter.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.