They say that even bad publicity is better than no publicity. As far as Jeremy Betts, managing director of My Brief in Kent is concerned, that is fortunate. Betts has got himself into a spot of bother over a cartoon (see below) which he has been using to promote his new motor offences practice in the local press. The ad, which boasts about the firm’s proficiency in exploiting ‘legal loopholes’ for speeding drivers, has been branded ‘irresponsible’ by the Kent and Medway Safe Camera Partnership. Betts sent Obiter a copy of an article in Kent on Sunday, in which the partnership says it is ‘outraged’ by the ‘distasteful’ advert. It is not hard to see why. Betts has apologised for any offence caused, but points out that ‘legal loopholes only exist if parliament does not do its job properly’. He says he had not realised that the ad would prove so controversial, but is pretty sanguine about the whole experience. Maybe that’s because the furore surrounding the advert has now brought his firm even more publicity. ‘We’ve had some new instructions as a result of the coverage,’ he confides.

‘One new client is an ex-police superintendent’.