The Adelaide Advertiser had a rather more serious photo problem in this promotion for their classified ads.

Week-end Shopper You can sell your goods for free Emily Ramsden was given plenty of new furniture when she married in January and she needs to make room by selling her old furniture. — The Advertiser, pg 2, August 6, 2005

When Emily placed her ad, the Advertiser asked if they could take her photo, to promote their new free ads.

Emily Ramsden contemplates her savings — The Advertiser, pg 2, August 6, 2005

Emily told us that photographer Ben McMahon wanted her to lie on the bed.

He asked me to lie on my stomach, which is quite hard to do when you're six months pregnant. Then he said "Ok move up to the bed post, he kept trying to get me to move up more. — Emily Ramsden to Media Watch

The photo that was published does make a big feature of the bed post, attached to which are these ...

Emily was shocked and embarrassed.

The handcuffs were a gift from a friend, given as a joke. We've never used them. I didn't even think about it when the photographer was taking the photos. I have been crying about it for days. We've had people ringing up my husband saying "Look at what she gets up to.?" — Emily Ramsden to Media Watch

The Advertiser's Editor, Melvin Mansell, told us their photographer:

Did not deliberately frame the handcuffs in the picture, he tried to disguise them after a conversation with Ms Ramsden. — Fax: Melvin Mansell, Editor, The Advertiser, to Media Watch

Read the reply from Melvin Mansell in full

Oh really?

We asked Emily Ramsden about that "conversation" and she moved from embarrassed to furious.

That's a complete lie. I never discussed the handcuffs with him, either at the time the photo was taken or afterwards. — Emily Ramsden to Media Watch

Editor Mansell does admit that the paper's editorial staff knew the photo showed the handcuffs, but went ahead and published.

I apologised to Ms Ramsden and her family. The photographer has been suspended for one week while this is investigated. — Fax: Melvin Mansell, Editor, The Advertiser, to Media Watch

But will the photographer wear this crass error of judgment alone?

Whatever made the editors think that Emily might not mind the cheap laugh at her expense, and the lewd phone calls?

She told Media Watch: