A FLOORING manufacturer's claims that carpets are harmful to children and increase the risk of asthma 14-fold have been thrown out by the advertising watchdog.

The Kidderminster-based Carpet Foundation - which represents three carpet firms in Worcestershire and a further 11 nationwide - complained to the Advertising Standards Authority in March last year about a Press advert and a brochure for Marmoleum.

The foundation - which had five of its 11 complaints upheld - said the decision had helped safeguard jobs in the industry, which employs about 5,000 people in Wyre Forest.

Marketing director Rupert Anton said the ASA had backed the foundation's key complains.

"If consumer demand for carpet falls it would have a knock-on effect for manufacturers," he added.

The Marmoleum advert stated: "Carpets harbour dust mites, and absorb and release toxins. In fact, removing carpets can reduce the risk of asthma-causing allergies by up to 14 times."

The ASA dismissed the assertion carpets were dangerous because they contained toxins and threw out the statement children were at greatest risk.

The watchdog has asked the advertiser to remove or amend misleading statements and advised them to consult the ASA before advertising again.

Michael Hardiman, chief executive of the foundation which brought the case jointly with distributors and a retail association, welcomed the ASA decision.

"This was a particularly nasty piece of advertising and we were always confident that any objective view of the scientific evidence would prove that Marmoleum's claims could not be substantiated," he said.

"The ASA judgement has exonerated carpet and this supports what we have know for years that carpet is the healthy flooring option."

In 2000 the foundation objected to claims by the Healthy Flooring Network that asthma was caused by the droppings of dust mites living in carpets.