Manchester - so much to answer for. SPOnG has just heard yet another daft-yet-true story about the latest batch of PlayStation advertising causing offence yet at the same time magically succeeding in generating some valuable extra PR coverage in leading regional and national newspapers for PlayStation. Funny that...

Sony, it seems, is a PR maestro when it comes to playing the regional press controversy game to its own benefit. This time it was a story up in Madchester (we are 24 Hour Party People, after all). One of the controversial new red and white PSP posters, which all of our British readers must have seen if they have left their house in the last fortnight, has been deemed to be in bad taste and removed from Manchester’s Picaddilly Train Station.

Rail Operator Metrolink was asked by a rail worker to cover up a poster on a tram platform which read: "Take a running jump from here", for fear it could encourage people to leap on to the line. Clearly the local tram users in Manchester are very gullible people and need protecting from such irresponsible advertising messages.

Metrolink swiftly passed the buck onto JC Decaux, the company in charge of billboards at the station, who swiftly covered up the hoarding to stop the steady flow of lemming-like commuters throwing themselves gleefully onto the line.

The offending billboard has now been removed and Network Rail said of the matter: "An employee spotted it and said it was a bit inappropriate. The message goes completely against all our safety messages, particularly because PlayStation is aimed at youngsters and we are constantly telling them not to trespass. We don't have this poster anywhere in the station itself because we are very careful about the safety messages we put out and wouldn't want anything to contradict that."

A Sony rep told SPOnG earlier today: "The PSP Ad creative highlights the portability and multi-functionality of the console, and we have been made aware that one particular advert has been placed inappropriately in a couple of locations. In consideration of this, we have responded immediately and withdrawn the posters from these sites. This campaign run is planned to finish this Saturday."

*Some other gullible Manc commuters were seen last night attempting to fly out of windows of tall buildings whilst drinking Red Bull.

*Any concerned readers in the Manchester district - this last sentence is a joke. Where's your sense of humour? What's that? Oh, the Scousers have nicked it...