Spitfire Ale has come under attack from the Advertising Standards Authority for taking patriotism a step too far.

Owner Shepherd Neame came a cropper as a result of newspaper ads with the strap­line 'The Bottle of Britain', which offended several Italian consumers. One read: 'One pistol shot and 46,000 people start running. Yes, it's the Italian army'. Another, a cartoon football match, showed Italian players on their knees, saying: 'Don't shoot, we surrender'. A third featured an Italian linesman waving a white flag.

The ASA upheld the complaints, noting that the implication that Italians were cowardly was likely to cause widespread offence.