A SERIES of adverts launched for one of the county's most famous exports, Malvern Water, is proving controversial with some.

The adverts are being used in national newspapers and magazines as part of the first ever promotional campaign for the product by its owners Coca-Cola Schweppes.

In one full-page ad, first seen last weekend, two flat-capped farmers are shown sitting at a table in a traditional country pub...holding hands.

Another features the back view of a female gardener whose cerise thong can be seen above the waistline of her tweed skirt, while a third depicts a bull with an eyebrow piercing.

At the bottom of the ads is the caption "malvern, not quite middle england", with a hand pointing to the town on a map of Britain and a bottle of Malvern Water on the other side.

The advertising campaign for the water, produced from a spring at Colwall and reputedly drunk by the Queen, will run for a month and a half.

Farmer Tom Norbury, who owns Holywell Farm, near Storridge, said he was confused by the first advert, which he saw in the Sunday Telegraph.

"Are they taking the mickey out of people who live in Malvern?" he said.

"I don't see why Malvern should be insulted, especially by a firm producing in our area".

Judith Levey, brand public relations manager for Coca-Cola Great Britain, said: "It's not a look you would expect from a 150-year-old brand. It's about seeing things with a new contemporary view."

A four-strong team from the London advertising agency Lowe spent time in Malvern researching the town and the water and were said to have found inspiration for the campaign in Malvern's "bohemian" atmosphere.

Stephen Leese, assistant chief executive of Malvern Hills District council, said: "Whilst we appreciate that some people might be worried about the image portrayed by these adverts, the council accepts they have only been intended as harmless fun.

"In any case, it's obvious that they're about Malvern Water, the product, and not Malvern the place."