Barnardo shocking ads gets complaints.

Barnardo's uses shock tactics to tackle child poverty, this strategy has backfired.

More than 60 people contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) through its website, and dozens of people called the within hours of the ads appearing. The first in the series of newspaper adverts from Barnardo's shows a new-born baby with a cockroach crawling out of his mouth. Another advert in the "silver spoons" campaign features a baby with a methylated spirits bottle in its mouth while a third shows a baby with a syringe.

The headline on the adverts says: "There are no silver spoons for children born into poverty."

"Poverty is the single biggest threat to a child's future. It is essential that poverty is tackled now if we are to affect future outcomes for children," said Neera Sharma, the principal policy officer at Barnardo's.