Newsagent rejects website call to hide ‘lads’ mags’

Mumsnet launched the campaign after a survey of mothers found 82 per cent had seen covers where children could see them, often on shops’ lower shelves.

One said: “I once had to explain to my eight-year-old daughter why there were two naked ladies on a magazine cover placed right by the queue for the till.”

Another said: “I object to the fact that I don’t have a choice about whether my children see these images.”

Supermarkets including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and The Co-operative agreed to move the magazines higher or shield them with plain covers, as did petrol stations including BP.

However WH Smith has not, saying its strict display policy meant the magazines are displayed at a minimum height of 1.2m, equivalent to the average adult chest or shoulder height.

A spokeswoman said: “The policy requires men’s lifestyle magazines be displayed away from children’s or women’s magazines and away from other product ranges that children may be shopping for, eg toys and stationery.

“In addition we work closely with the magazine publishers to ensure that their products meet the expectations of our customers. Where we receive customer complaints about an issue in a certain publication, WH Smith commits to raise these concerns directly with the publisher.

“The feedback from the Mumsnet survey is valuable to us as we try to strike the right balance in meeting the needs of all our customers.”