A money loaning web site aimed at children as young as five has been slammed by advertising watchdog, OfCom; the financial watchdog OfFin; and the Children's watchdog, OfPedo.
"It took us several months to spot it," said OfFon co-ordinator, Adolph Hipster. "It was always shown between Pinky and the Brain and Barney. Adults can't stand Barney, and they go of to do something else."
This meant that the ad was seen by thousands of Children.
"It was insidious," said Hipster. "The basic premise was telling children that if their pocket money didn't stretch, they could take a loan out from PocketMoneyLoans.com. This money could be then paid back over weeks or months. They had the strap line 'the money will be in your pocket by tomorrow'."
Children who couldn't pay the money back found themselves suffering menaces from the company, who would accost them at school.
"It's a form of bullying," said Hipster. "Where money wasn't available, PML would take their lunch, their clothes, any toys they had. The kids were too scared to tell anybody."
Pocket Money Loans has now been shut down, but it took a change in the law to make that happen.
"We realised that it was not technically illegal to advertise loans to children," said Hipster. "It is now."
Additionally KidTV, the commercial channel showing the offending ads have had their knuckles rapped for not paying more attention to the advertisers that pay for air time.
"We're sorry," said KidTV boss, Peter File.
