Updated UK IT recruitment company Mortimer Spinks has pulled a bad-taste job ad from the Internet and its managing director has issued a formal apology. The company has also posted the apology at the front of its Web site and you need to click on it to enter the main site.

Why such a strong response? Well, this was the ad that was posted:

Type: Permanent
Location: London
Start: September
Salary/Rate: 20k-22k"

Bad taste? Certainly. We called to ask for an explanation of how and why the ad had been produced by as yet, the MD, Mr Singer is unavailable.

What is depressingly ironic about the ad and apology though is the amount of abuse and unnecessary hatred it has attracted. On the noticeboard of Computer Contractor.net a huge range of racist, violent and abusive notices have been posted in the direction of Mr Singer and the woman that posted the job ad. See here.

The apology reads as follows: "Mortimer Spinks would like to apologise to everyone for the recent
Advertisement posted on the Web. We are aware that the advert was written in very bad taste.

Both the individual Consultant concerned and the full matter is being dealt with very seriously

David Singer
Managing Director
Mortimer Spinks"

It is heartening and terrifying in equal measure what effect a situation such as the recent terrorist attacks can have on people.

Update

David Singer has been in touch. He wanted to say first of all that he "wholeheartedly apologises" for the ad. It had been posted by a junior member of staff who hadn't gone through the correct channels, he explained.

As soon as the ad was noticed, it was pulled and the staff member was suspended pending a full inquiry. It was a genuine error and the company's thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. He also explained that some within his own organisation had been directly affected by the attacks. ®