UK viewers say the government is encouraging bullying at work and airing political propaganda in a TV ad campaign to prepare Britain for the euro, the commercial TV watchdog said today. The TV spots, made by agency TBWA Simons Palmer, featured fictional businessman Martin Skinner bawling at his staff for not getting to grips with the single European currency and throwing a ball of paper at one of them. The campaign generated over 106 complaints.

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) rejected the objections, but sympathised with some 57 complainants who said Skinner's behaviour condoned bullying. Another 48 viewers objected that the campaign amounted to political propaganda in favour of the UK adopting the euro.