CAMRA festival ads go down the tube

CAMRA has said it is disappointed London Underground has axed a series of spoof tube adverts for next month's Great British Beer Festival.

The ads, which were due to run on the underground, used the iconic London tube map but changed station names to names of beers and pub games.

The ads had the green light from Transport for London - which allowed them to use Harry Beck's tube map - but at the last minute TfL pulled out saying they did not want to be associated with alcohol.

It's hypocritical and inconsistent. Alcohol has been linked with London Underground on many occasions.​Owen Morris, CAMRA spokesman.

This was despite the fact that buskers on the Tube are sponsored by Carling and that just over 18 months ago, Foster's sponsored the Underground on New Year's Eve.

CAMRA spokesman Owen Morris said: "It's hypocritical and inconsistent. Alcohol has been linked with London Underground on many occasions."​

CAMRA's head of marketing Louise Ashworth added: "We have had terrible problems. It has been exasperating.​

"We felt these were perfect as they highlighted not only the various aspects of the festival but the fact that it had moved to Earls Court."

"I was surprised and disappointed that it was rejected. We then had about four hours to come up with new artwork. Why didn't they tell us earlier?"

A London Underground spokesman told the Evening Standard: "LU is comfortable with the buskers' sponsorship because it is not our core business."​

She added that London Underground decided after 2004 it was no longer appropriate for drinks firms to sponsor New Year's Eve travel.

The Great British Beer Festival is on next week.

For tickets and info visit www.camra.org.uk​