Vinnie Jones 'quit PR firm in gay row'

Vinnie Jones, the actor and former footballer, refused to work with a public relations firm after an apparently naked picture of him appeared in a gay magazine, a court heard yesterday.

Jones, who was promoting the Penny Black fragrance in a campaign by Tonic PR, became incensed when his son was teased at school after the picture appeared without his knowledge in Attitude magazine, Oxford crown court was told.

The makers of the fragrance objected because Jones, who has appeared in the films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, was chosen for his "hard man" image and the magazine was not appropriate.

Penny Black Ltd sacked Tonic PR after the advert appeared. But the PR firm sued Penny Black for breach of contract, claiming it had not stipulated where they should promote the product. Penny Black made a counter-claim against Tonic for £80,000, a loss they claim they incurred when they were forced to change PR companies.

Penny Black, based in Birmingham, claims the placing of the advert in Attitude was inappropriate. Maria Aldridge, who runs Penny Black with her husband, Jason, told the preliminary hearing: "The placing of this advert in a homosexual magazine lost us as much as £80,000 because Vinnie refused to work with Tonic PR." A representative for Tonic PR argued that no restriction had been made on where adverts would be placed.

The case will be heard in full in the spring.

• Marketing & PR

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