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Claims that controversial adverts asking commuters "Are you beach body ready?" were offensive and shamed women have been dismissed by the watchdog.

The posters for Protein World's range of slimming products - featuring a slender bikini-clad model - sparked outrage when they appeared on Tube trains and platforms in April.

Critics accused the firm of promoting an unrealistic body image and began defacing the ads, while more than 70,000 signed a petition to have them removed.

But the Advertising Standards Authority - which launched an investigation after receiving 378 complaints - has today cleared the campaign of being offensive or irresponsible.

The combination of the slogan and the model's "very slim, toned body" did not breach any rules, it said.

In its ruling, the authority said: "We considered the claim 'Are you beach body ready?' prompted readers to think about whether they were in the shape they wanted to be for the summer, and we did not consider that the accompanying image implied that a different body shape to that shown was not good enough or was inferior.

"We did not consider the image of the model would shame women who had different body shapes into believing they needed to take a slimming supplement to feel confident wearing swimwear in public."

The adverts were promoting Protein World's "weight loss collection" supplements, which the company claimed would "boost fat-burning metabolism to aid weight loss".

The public outcry included a demonstration of women in bikinis in Hyde Park, with the message that "every body is beach body ready".

Eating disorders charity Beat said the ASA ruling was "extremely disappointing" and insisted the advert was irresponsible.

Rebecca Field, head of communications, said: "While we recognise advertising and the media cannot cause eating disorders - they are much more complex than that - we are aware how toxic images can be to an individual."

Despite today's ruling, the adverts have already been banned by the ASA over concerns about their health claims.