A BRANKSOME kitesurfing retailer has created its own comical response to a controversial advertising campaign created by a bus company.

King of Watersports, which says it is the UK's largest retailer of kitesurfing gear, has wrapped its company vans with a parody version of the adverts used by New Adventure Travel bus company in Wales.

The adverts, which featured a topless man and women holding posters which read 'Ride me all day for £3', have been turned around by staff at King of Watersports to feature people holding surfboards featuring the same tongue-in-cheek slogan.

Charlie Kernan, founder of King of Watersports, said: "It's nothing more than people would see on a sunny day in Bournemouth Beach."

He added: "The idea came about after I saw the news about the company in Wales who put the adverts on the back of their buses.

"I found it quite funny and our customers are fun-loving people, who do wakeboarding and watersports, and have a good sense of humour.

"I'm just constantly getting people just cracking up laughing at our vans and so far nobody has told us that they are offended by it.

"We copied the advert, but we made a change by putting an overweight, 40-something man, which is me, as the person in the picture and then a female version with a great friend of mine, Miranda.

"It says 'Ride me for £3' on the surfboard and then we have a small print, which are the terms and conditions, which say 'The price of the board is £300 and you would have to put £3 in your piggy bank for 100 days'.

"This is all for people to have a laugh with us and if we get a positive response, then we will keep it. However, if we have anyone offended by it, then we will take it away.

"The company is just about doing things in a different way and customers come to us knowing that we are a fun company. It's all just a bit of fun and to put a smile on people's faces."