A free newspaper’s claim that it offered the “No1 section for jobs” has been rapped by an advertising watchdog and told to prove the claim – or drop it.

The Aberdeen Independent would have to put forward evidence that it advertised more jobs each week in the Aberdeen area – consistently more than all its competitors’ free and paid-for newspapers.

It did put forward evidence that showed it has advertised more jobs over a six month period than its competitors’ free newspapers – but that did not match the strict demands of the Advertising Standards Authority.

The Authority undertook an investigation following a complaint from Aberdeen Journals Ltd, which owns the Press and Journal, the Evening Express and a weekly free the Aberdeen Herald and Post.

The official adjudication said: “The Authority concluded that the advertisers had not substantiated the claim and told them to remove it.”

Regulations state that marketing should not mislead or be likely to mislead, and that all claims should be substantiated.

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