A free sexually-provocative lads' mag given away with PlayStationWorld has shocked a 12 year old's mum into taking the editor to task and calling her MP.

Terry Norris bought the November issue of PSW for her son Doyle, a computer games fan, but was shocked to find a free copy of Loaded magazine included.

Loaded's front cover promises a 25-page orgy of sauce, the steamiest sex scene and the most bizarre sex act.

But Mrs Norris, who had never seen a copy of Loaded before, claims she felt misled by the packaged journal because it also carried a free DVD with a 12 certificate.

She said her son, a pupil at Overton Grange, was an innocent 12 year old and did not read these kind of magazines.

"It is soft-porn," she said. "There are sexual words, sex games and nudity in it. I would like to see it taken off the shelf. There should have been warning signs to prevent newsagents from selling it to under-18s or the DVD game should have been a higher certificate. There's no way it should have been sold to a 12 year old."

She has written a letter to PSW editor Stephen Pierce and has contacted Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow.

When the Guardian contacted the editor, he had not received the letter, but said he was sorry if the freebie caused upset.

He said there was a small warning on the packaging saying: "Attention parents: not suitable for children". He did say, however, that in the next promotion he would make the print larger.

"Our average reader is 23 and we see it as reasonable to associate ourselves with Loaded. It is not a top shelf mag but I could see that some people could be offended."

Paul Burstow has asked the editor to increase the size of the warning banner.

October 26, 2001 13:30