The Royal Mail has declined to distribute the current edition of The Drum magazine because a swear word appears prominently on the front page.
Delivery of the latest edition will now be delayed while the packaging is changed to ensure that the word "fuck" is not visible.
The cover highlights a competition the magazine ran for readers to design a World Cup poster. Based on one of the entries from designer Steve Price it said: "Fuck it football is shit. When is Downton back on."
Editor Gordon Young said: "Oh for fuck's sake. This magazine is a subscription only business-to-business title with a tightly defined readership. The sort of language our readers come across day-to-day is probably not dissimilar to the sort of language used in a Royal Mail sorting office and I reckon it is unlikely they will be offended.
Related
"And the end of the day ‘fuck’ is simply a word which is in the English dictionary and has been in use since at least Shakespearean times. I am amazed that in this day and age these are grounds for preventing the distribution of a news magazine.
“I appreciate the Royal Mail have to be alert about some of the stuff people may wish to distribute but I think they should concentrate on work which is clearly illegal as opposed to deciding what is and what is not tasteful."
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "All mailings we handle must comply with our general terms and conditions and must not include offensive, obscene or threatening language."
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
