Thousands of copies of the Morley Advertiser were stripped from the shelves this week after outrage at comments in the front page splash.

The story told how a gay sex mail-order firm had been operating in an innocuous old woollen mill in the town for three years.

But some of the published comments attributed to locals living near the operation led to the 3,655-circulation paper being withdrawn – but not before many people has read the article.

The Advertiser is now waiting to see what action offended readers might take – the Press Complaints Commission being one option.

A statement on behalf of the Morley Advertiser said: “The article sought to represent the reaction of some local residents in a dispassionate manner.

“Their comments in no way represent the views of the publisher, editor or journalists of the Morley Advertiser.

“We regret any offence caused and will be pleased to consider for publication letters from any reader who has been upset by the comments reported in the article.”

The Advertiser is part of the Wakefield-based Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group, which is owned by Johnston Press.

The paper is distributed on a Wednesday and unsold copies were recalled by Thursday.

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