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2nd July 2023
02:40pm BST
Billboards promoting an adult star's OnlyFans porn site have been posted across London, prompting fury among local residents.
A string of the adverts featuring X-rated model Eliza Rose Watson posing in her underwear have appeared in at least three different areas of the capital.
The huge billboards have been spotted in Harrow and Edgware, north west London, while another was seen in Norwood, south east London.
One local resident was so angry about one of the billboards that they graffitied “keep porn off our streets” over it.
The adverts promote two of the glamour girl's sites - including an OnlyFans page, which contains explicit content, and her Instagram account, where she describes herself as a "recovered addict turned gym junkie", and features suggestive images.
One Harrow resident, who asked to not be named, said: “I am not making a moral argument for or against pornography, but rather how it is allowed to be advertised in such an unregulated way.
“The use of sexualised imagery, although far from ideal, is not my main sticking point, rather, the service advertised is entirely inappropriate for a billboard visible to all.
“Harrow is a rural suburb of Greater London, not Soho or the red light district of Amsterdam.
"The gambling, alcohol, and tobacco industries are regulated on how and to whom they are able to advertise, with particular regard to the need to protect children, young people, and those who are vulnerable from being harmed or exploited.
"The billboard is not only visible to anyone at all times, but is also less than half a mile away from two schools, one of which being for primary school children, and shares a road with the advertisement, being on the same route parents take their children to school.
"Regardless of what the intended audience may be, it is a matter of fact that pornographic services are being promoted to children in this instance.
"Placing the responsibility of advertising standards in the hands of every parent is as impractical as it is immoral.
"This is a question of the sort of activities we choose to promote and endorse within our society, not a moral argument for or against pornography."
Other people shared images and videos online of the same billboard elsewhere in the capital- including Burnt Oak, north west London, and another in Norwood, south London.
One resident said: "OnlyFans being promoted on a billboard is ridiculous, this is what our generation has become."
Another added: "Never thought I'd see OnlyFans girls buying billboards now."
OnlyFans is an online platform, mainly for users to share their homemade pornography with paying subscribers.
But Watson argues the content on the billboard is no more explicit or damaging than other adult adverts for alcohol, underwear and gambling.
She said much work had gone into the production of the advert and discussions were made to assure it meets the advertising guidelines.
The OnlyFans model said: “If a child was to see that – it is designed for adults.
"The picture is of a 34-year-old woman and the OnlyFans logo is there. It doesn't tell you how to access it. It doesn't give a website address, it's just there.
"And if someone underage were to try and access that, as long as there's parental controls on their phone - which I assume there are - they're not going to be able to load onlyfans.com it just doesn't work."
Last November Ms Watson, who is said to be a millionaire from her online work, told how she was addicted to drink and drugs, but has turned her life around and is helping others get clean.
Now the 34-year-old rakes in around £180,000 a month using the online sex cam platform.
Martin Grays, 54, who lives in Edgware, said: “It’s just not something they should advertise in public where families are walking past and kids are walking to and from school.
“It’s just not right for me. I don’t get why they have done it.”
The billboard has been put up on the outside of a local convenient store.
A shop employee, who wished not to be named, is fed up by the constant complaints he has had from customers.
He said: “I have customers complaining about it so it is annoying having it there. People are fed up by it.”
Despite complaining about it, his pleas to take it down have not been answered.
He added: “I have complained about it but they aren’t going to do anything.
“The council never asked or anything to put it up which isn’t fair. I hope it won’t be there long.”
Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas said he has taken the matter to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after being made aware of the risqué adverts.
He said: “I agree that the placing of this advert isn’t appropriate given that young children will be walking past it on a daily basis.
“I have written to the Advertising Standards Authority asking them to assess whether their criteria for such adverts is appropriate.”
The ASA confirmed two complaints have been made that the content is inappropriate.
A spokesperson explained that the complaints are being reviewed to see if it requires looking into, but an investigation has not been officially launched at this time.
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