An advertising campaign poking fun at Margate has been dropped by easyJet following criticism from residents of the Kent coastal resort.
People in the town voiced anger on social media websites against a poster on the rail network saying: “This year end up in Malaga, not Margate”.
They argued that the ads damaged the reputation of the town. EasyJet apologised and said there was “no intended criticism of the town”.
Local councillor Will Scobie said the airline had picked the wrong target for its campaign.
“Margate is a fantastic town for people to visit,” he told the BBC.
“We’ve just been named as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit, we’ve got exciting local shops that you can’t find anywhere else, the new Turner Contemporary art gallery and an air show this summer.
“EasyJet picked the wrong place to insult with their campaign.”
The airline said in a statement: “We apologise to any residents of Margate who have been offended by the campaign. EasyJet has taken the decision to cease running the ads.”