High-street retailer WH Smith has put its PR foot in it after insulting shoppers looking for a Father's Day gift by promoting a book about Josef Fritzl, one of the worst-ever fathers in history.
Horrified customers at the Lewisham branch of WH Smith in South London could not believe their eyes when they saw the book, The Crimes of Josef Fritzl, nestled in among the store's Top 50 Books for Dad section of Father's Day offers.
The book, featuring a chilling photograph of the evil incest sex beast on the front cover, describes in detail of how Fritzl imprisoned his daughter in a secret underground dungeon at his home in Amstetten, Austria for nearly 25 years.
And the blunder did not escape the attention of the media, with several national newspapers reporting consumer outrage and disbelief at the careless and inappropriate Father's Day recommendation.
The high-street store has since apologised to shoppers and removed the book from the displays.
The retailer will be inevitably concerned that the embarrassing episode could put a dent in the reputation of the WH Smith brand.
However, the Fritzl book itself should enjoy a healthy upsurge in sales on the back of the publicity, with more readers now aware about an intriguing and shocking real-life crime story on the shelves.
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