A COMPANY boss today defended his firm's new advertising campaign after claims it was encouraging people to skive off work.

Outdoor clothing firm Karrimor has launched the new campaign, starting with adverts on the backs of buses in major cities throughout the country.

The advert carries the phrase 'Phone in sick' followed by 'Karrimor, the great British mountains company.'

The 'teaser' adverts will be followed up with adverts in the major broadsheet national newspapers.

But bus operators in Edinburgh and Nottingham have refused to carry the adverts because they claim they could encourage people to take time off work.

Today, David Heys, chief executive of Clayton-le-Moors-based Karrimor, said the move had come as something of a surprise. "It is certainly not a call for absenteeism. As a major employer ourselves we certainly wouldn't encourage people to call in sick when they are not.

"We put the ads on the back of busies to catch people driving into work after the weekend," he explained.

"The idea is that we'll catch them in a frame of mind where they are not looking forward to a week of work and to get them to think of the things you can do outdoors in your spare time."

Mr Heys said Karrimor had carried out market research with the adverts before they were launched and people hadn't thought they were seriously encouraging people to call in sick.

"It's just in the realms of fantasy - like me thinking of going on a date with Naomi Campbell!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.