An advert for a self-proclaimed 'evil' car featuring a pigeon-bashing bonnet has been slammed by animal charities.

　　The advert shows a pigeon about to swoop down from a tree to deposit its load on a newly-polished Ford Sportka. As it gets close to the car the bonnet springs up, strikes the bird and catapults it across the road to its death.

　　Pigeon fanciers have been quick to condemn the advert, which appears on the Ford UK website.

　　Brian Tattersall, president of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, has called for the advert to be banned. "It is in incredibly bad taste," he said. "The pigeon finishes up dead in the middle of the road - it's black humour which we don't find amusing. "We have written to the Advertising Standards Agency and to Ford UK and are hoping for an apology."

　　The RSPCA has also joined the battle to ban the advert, claiming that the use of shock tactics to cause offence and gain publicity is just "very, very bad taste."

　　Spokeswoman Katy Geary said: "There surely must be better ways of describing a car's capabilities than this. "It's about time that these companies stop these shock tactics, start acting responsibly and think carefully about the messages they are giving out."

　　A spokeswoman for Ford said that the advert was aimed at young men and was intended to be humorous. "We do take the public's concerns very seriously but we believe that people will understand that we would not hurt an animal in the making of an advert." "The car is most certainly not designed to hurt animals."