A Highgate mum and the mystery of the disappearing ads

Jade Ireland wants to find out how and why her ads are disappearing from a Highgate noticeboard. Picture: Jade Ireland Archant

A mum has turned sleuth in a bid to find the person tearing her ads down from a public noticeboard.

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Jade Ireland set up a baby food company eight months ago after an 11-year career at estate agents Knight Franck.

In a push to promote the business – Bellota Baby – the mother-of-two put up posters on noticeboards around her Highgate home, but a week after going up on a board near Kingsley Place they were taken down and binned.

“It was really unfair. It’s just so odd. I could understand if it was something awful, but this is to benefit babies,” Jade said.

“I felt quite hurt. They aren’t provocative or horrible. It’s a small business. Surely they should be supporting us,” she added.

Thinking she might have to pay to display, Jade left her business card and a note at the board inviting her adversary to contact her.

“But next time I went past that was in the bin too,” the 37-year-old said.

So far the amateur detective has worked out the suspect is a music fan with ads for concerts and classes allowed to stay put. Taxi drivers, however, get the same treatment.

Not to be defeated, Jade has considered installing a secret camera and even made an emotional plea putting a smiley face drawing on one ad writing, “Please don’t put me in the bin” on it. It too was trashed.

Jade – who lives in Highgate with husband Frederic and daughters Isabelle, aged two, and one-year-old Liberty – has even thought about jumping out from behind a bush to catch her in the act.

“But that may be a step too far. I don’t want to give them a heart attack. I’m not giving up though.

She added: “I would just like to know why they end up in the bin. The battle is not over.”