Stephen Collins paid £109 to advertise his company Wipe Out Pest Control on the planner, which he was told would go out to more than 300,000 people, and was supporting the Fire and Rescue Service's don't drink and drive campaign.

The fire service said it had nothing to do with it and urged anyone contacted by the company to get in touch with Trading Standards.

When Mr Collins got his copy of the wall planner through from Porter Publications Ltd, based in Liverpool he was less than impressed and was
unsure whether it was distributed anywhere else.

Poor quality

"I'm quite upset about it," he said. "My main concern is to get the word out to other local businesses that they are operating.

"When I got it through I thought maybe this is a rough one. The printing on it is pathetic, I thought it was a proof."

He then got a few more calls from the same company asking him to pay up, even though he already had, and then to pay £195 to advertise on another wall planner, this time supporting Crimestoppers.

He added: "I was thinking it came from a publication company, and being about the 'Think' campaign I thought it's a well-organised thing, and it's going to be good. Next time I will just be putting the phone down."

Not endorsed

West Sussex Fire and Rescue spokesman Gary Towson said it was definitely not being endorsed by the fire service.

He said: "We would be interested to see the reaction from readers of the Observer to see if it's a wider problem, in which case we would work closer with Trading Standards to see a way forward."

Some of the companies on the planner no longer exist, including the Mainline Tavern pub in Whyke Road, Chichester which closed several months ago.

Mick Kennett who runs MJ Kennett Construction Ltd in Bognor Regis, had been contacted by a company doing a similar thing several years ago, but never paid for an advert, yet surprisingly his company's name appeared on the wall planner.

Distribution

He said: "A couple of years ago they rang me and started going on about a wall calendar for charity.

"I said if I wanted to pay money in then I would pay it myself."

Porter Publications said the planners were sent out around the country, but refused to disclose where exactly you could find them for 'data protection reasons' and that the number distributed depended on how many companies advertised.

Consumer Direct is part of Trading Standards and deals with consumer enquiries. It can be contacted on 08454 040506.


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