A raunchy advert promoting an online lapdancing club has been plastered across a field.

Thousands of passengers flying into Gatwick can see the giant image of a naked woman wrapped around a pole from the sky.

It advertises risque website www.myprivatedance.com and has been painted on the incoming flightpath.

Planning officers are investigating whether Flightpath Media, the company responsible for it, has permission.

The advert, which is in the rented field just outside Gatwick, covers 100,000 sq ft and will stay in place until the end of the month.

It took eight people three days to produce with more than 3,000 litres of paint.

The exotic dancer is the second highly-controversial logo to be displayed there.

Last summer, Flightpath Media caused a national stir with its saucy advert for Lynx deodorant.

It spoofed the Cerne Abbas Giant from Devon and showed a man surrounded by women.

Stephen Pearson, of Flightpath Media, said: "Myprivatedance.com follows on from the huge success the Lynx advert had last summer which caused a lot of controversy due to the graphic nature of the advert but was the most talked about advert in the month of July.

"This particular client is hoping the council will see the more humorous side to this advert."

Unilever, which manufactures Lynx, was forced to wash away its advert after complaints from residents and environmentalists.

The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) said it was "a tacky advert which set a nasty precedent". Tandridge District Council, which is responsible for the field where the advert is placed, threatened legal action because the company did not have consent.

John Lawrence, director of environmental protection for Tandridge District Council, said officers would investigate the latest advert.

He said: "Planning regulations require any device or representation in the form of an advertisement may require consent from the council.

"Certain things are excluded like adverts on buses or adverts displayed on premises of a business.

"Clearly this advert is there to attract the attention of people arriving at Gatwick and should have consent to display it."

Mr Lawrence said the council had not yet received an application from Flightpath Media for its lapdancing campaign.

Mr Pearson added: "Council consent is always tricky but we are in the process."

Flightpath Media is a London-based marketing agency which creates adverts near airports in the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and the USA.

It uses a water-based, biodegradable paint and the dyed grass or crop is cut away at the end of the contract.

The first advert at Gatwick was for BudgetHolidays.com in August 2003.

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