Faggots and peas advert banned by Google for ‘inappropriate and offensive content’

A post advertising faggots, peas and gravy was banned by Google because it had “inappropriate and offensive content”.

In a bid to drum up business for Fanny’s Rest Stop Café, owner Jo Evans-Pring, 63, set up a website and Facebook page – and even began paying for adverts on Google.

It paid off and within just a few weeks, the mother-of-four’s business in Newport, Wales, was booming.

But one day after she posted an image of faggots with peas and onion gravy on her website, she received an email from Google telling her the advert had been removed.

Ms Evans-Pring said she was “absolutely startled by what’s happened” and claimed “the world’s gone totally mad if people are getting worked up over that”.

She added: “People need to spend their time dealing with real problems, not things like whether or not the word ‘faggots’ when selling that meal is hateful.”

Faggots is a traditional dish, popular in the Midlands and south and mid Wales, made from minced off-cuts and offal.

But the word “faggot” is thought to have been misconstrued by Google administrators to refer to the term of abuse referring to gay men.

Friend Chris Barnbrook, who helped Ms Evans-Pring set up the website and Google adverts, said: “After going over their content policy, the only thing I could see was that it might have been thought of as obscene, profane, or offensive.

“We thought it might be for the word ‘faggots’ – which we felt was a bit ironic, as the café anyway is called Fanny’s.”

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Ms Evans-Pring, who admitted finding the row funny initially, has since become infuriated by the decision.

She said: “At first, we found it kind of funny. But ultimately we’re both furious by the decision.

“I don’t really associate the word ‘faggots’ with anything offensive, and yet someone has made a decision that’s affecting my livelihood.

“Thinking of all the nasty stuff that’s on the Internet, why are they wasting their time with Fanny’s Rest Stop Café.

“We’re just asking – what’s the world coming to.”

Google’s content policy states it can remove content its administrators deem “inappropriate and offensive”.

SWNS contributed to this report