Are political parties subject to advertising standards controls?

[janinlondon]

I am SOOO annoyed. I have spent the last couple of months shielding DD, whose natural curiosity is abnormally high, from those ghastly Iraq torture pictures on the news and in the papers. At age 4 I just thought she could do without it. We have been carefully covering D Day and what it means and she is doing well at understanding this. Then on Bank Holiday Monday when we were all at home the bloody ANTIWAR party pokes a flyer through our letterbox with a huge graphic picture of the prisoner on a leash on the front of it. And you can guess who picked it up and brought it to us for an explanation. I really resent this - feel like my secure little home has been violated. Who can I complain to, or am I being really silly? It took ages to try to explain to her and I really wasn't ready to do it. Anyone with any advice? Maybe I am just a grumpy old woman but I don't feel that these obscene photos should just be pushed through my mailbox?

Not being silly at all. It's like you're being forced to explain something you dont want to explain yet.

I was very annoyed when the freddy versus Jason film had a huge poster on buses. DS had nightmares and lots of fears after this for a while.

Yes they are subject to advertising standards - there was something on the news about this last week as the BNP had been forced to edit a TV advert as it was 'inciting racial hatred'. I would complain if I were you, you should have a right to protect your children form things like this. If they want to send round things which could be offensive to small children they should put them in envelopes at the very least.