Peugeot’s newest advertising campaign for the 206 Sport has been criticised by anti-gun campaigners who have branded the French firm, ‘irresponsible’ and 'glamorising guns'.

The new advert depicts a father driving his son to a party in a dilapidated car. The boy then goes into a bank brandishing an imitation gun.

The ads tagline message is, “The new Peugeot 206 Sport is only £8,995 so you don’t have to go to extreme lengths to own one”.

The multi-million pound promotion may be scrapped after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a number of complaints.

MP Diane Abbott, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gun Crime, called for an immediate investigation into the ad, says today’s Daily Express.

The newspaper quotes a woman who was shot outside a London nightclub. Lucy Cope is demanding the ad be withdrawn.

Peugeot PR director Andrew Didlick says: “The advert is obviously tongue-in-cheek, set in an unreal situation. The gun is clearly a toy.

“It was passed by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre and we have no plans to pull the advert.”

The ASA says: “There has been a strong reaction to this advert and we will look into every complaint before deciding to take action.”