Escort agency 'sorry' for Hull tourism gaffe
THE owner of an escort agency has apologised "for stepping on toes" after it published a passage describing Hull attractions from a tourism agency's website.
Tourism chiefs accused Leeds-based Secret City Girls of "contaminating" Hull's image by stealing the idyllic description of the city and its attractions.
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'Time and companionship': A screenshot of the Secret City Girls site
It emerged the passage, containing references to family-friendly crowd-pullers such as The Deep and St Stephen's shopping centre, had been taken from the website of Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY).
Last night, when contacted by the Mail, the un-named owner of Secret City Girls claimed he had been unaware the text had been lifted, but offered an apology to tourism chiefs.
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He said: "We will remove the section. We are sorry we appear to have stepped on toes."
An extract from the text stated: "This lovely corner of England boasts a cosmopolitan city, colourful seaside resorts, a jaw-dropping coastline and miles and miles of tranquil countryside.
"With so many great experiences and attractions just waiting to be explored – all at tremendous value for money prices – you can cram in so much more."
The words were displayed beneath images of 11 scantily dressed women and a bare-chested man.
The escort agency's website contains a section with the heading "outcall locations", which includes Hull, Bradford, Doncaster, Harrogate, York and Sheffield.
Other places included in the description were Hull Truck Theatre and the city's eight museums.
On the same web page, Secret City Girls listed Holiday Inn Express, Ibis Holiday Inn and Campanile hotels.
The website says "gentlemen need look no further for companionship or entertainment".
Councillor Terry Geraghty, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for leisure and tourism, said he would be bringing the matter up with colleagues.
He said: "I think it's disgusting. We do not want this sort of thing on our doorstep.
"We are trying to promote Hull as a family-friendly destination.
"Hull has recently been given the Purple Flag award, which recognises efforts by Hull City Council and its partners to promote the city's nightlife.
"It seems Secret City Girls is deliberately targeting tourism destinations.
"But we can't allow them to contaminate what we are doing in Hull to improve our image."
Jim Harris, manager of St Stephen's shopping centre in Hull city centre, said: "The paragraph detailing the description of Hull in which we are mentioned appeared to have been cut and pasted from the VHEY website.
"St Stephens treats this with the utter disdain we believe it deserves."
According to its website, Secret City Girls is "an exclusive Leeds escort agency, providing a premium service like no other".
A disclaimer is featured on the website, stating: "Secret City Girls Escorts do not offer any illegal or immoral services.
"All monies exchanged with an escort are for time and companionship only.
"Anything else that happens is a matter of personal choice between two or more adults of a legal age."
Customers are asked to call a number and use a debit or credit card to book an escort.
Comments
by Prescotts_Cat
Thursday, October 25 2012, 10:17PM
“So someone at VHEY just happened to stumble across the site by pure chance???”
by killer127
Thursday, October 25 2012, 9:18PM
“I wonder how many of our local civil servants have tried the service of a life coach, and put the bill on their expenses...”
by Park Training Initiative ( ptihull )
Thursday, October 25 2012, 5:24PM
“I have zero experience of escort services nor would ever foresee stooping so low as to use them. If 1 person is exploited by the crooks in charge its 1 too many, much the same as slavery and torture. To do that to another human being.. if they are genuine self employed and agreeing parties then fine between adults. but font dress up an escort service as anything but a ' prozzy for hire ' .”
by EducatedSage
Thursday, October 25 2012, 4:13PM
“What "sort of thing" does Councillor Geraghty not want on "our doorstep"? I'm somewhat surprised, given his age and length of service upon Kingston upon Hull's City Council, that he appears to have remained completely unaware of the existence of such services within our hallowed boundaries.
There are, unfortunately, many women who rely upon the income generated from the services that they offer, to feed their families, drug habits, alcoholism, etc.
Is he also unaware that Mary Magdalene was an 'escort girl' who was far more loyal to Jesus Christ than many of his other close companions and indeed, received absolution from him!
Perhaps we should all have a moment of quiet reflection and thank whomever is our God, that we are not so tormented.”
by watchintelly
Thursday, October 25 2012, 4:10PM
“@markhull65-yo' mama ho,no?lol ho ho.”
by Mark_Hull_65
Thursday, October 25 2012, 3:21PM
“Ho mama surely.”
by watchintelly
Thursday, October 25 2012, 2:50PM
“Hull yo' mama.”
by GlennQuagmire
Thursday, October 25 2012, 2:04PM
“Don't believe everything you read billy.”
by wraith
Thursday, October 25 2012, 1:50PM
“billyofhull as you say yourself your experience of the escort business is from movies therefor i would restrict your comments to movie reviews... The river Humber is the **** hole of the world and Hull is shoved right up it, to say that an escort advert "contaminates" Hull is like saying John Prescott contaminates local council... Oh hang on a minute!!.....”
by Park Training Initiative ( ptihull )
Thursday, October 25 2012, 1:21PM
“escort = prostitute. anyone who has seen the film ' Taken ' will know the kind of men running things behind the scenes and the exploitation of vulnerable and sometimes trafficked sex slaves, dressed up as some form of respectable ' rent a girlfriend ' to take to a show or something. Those people are the worst of the worst . up there with child killers etc”