Paperchase 'sorry' for Daily Mail offer

Stationery company Paperchase has apologised for a promotional giveaway in the Daily Mail after it was criticised for working with the paper.

The chain offered two free rolls of wrapping paper in Saturday's newspaper.

It said it was "truly sorry" after hundreds of people - encouraged by campaign group Stop Funding Hate - urged the chain to end the partnership.

A Daily Mail statement said it was "deeply worrying" Paperchase had let itself "be bullied into apologising".

Stop Funding Hate lobbies firms to stop advertising with certain newspapers which it claims promote divisive views.

The group has previously been involved in getting companies such as Lego to pull advertising.

It tweeted on Saturday: "After a torrid few weeks of divisive stories about trans people, is a Daily Mail promotion what customers want to see from @FromPaperchase?"

Paperchase responded a few hours later by asking for customers' views and received hundreds of replies on Twitter.

The company later said it had "listened" to the responses about the weekend's newspaper promotion.

"We now know we were wrong to do this - we're truly sorry and we won't ever do it again.

"Thanks for telling us what you really think and we apologise if we have let you down on this one. Lesson learnt."

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But some people have criticised the apology, saying they will now shop elsewhere.

Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer said: "I for one am happy to lead a boycott of Paperchase for making this absurd grovelling apology simply for advertising in a national newspaper."

TV presenter Piers Morgan, who also writes for the Mail Online, tweeted: "I hope Paperchase understand that British people don't like snivelling little cowards who let themselves get bullied... I'll buy my cards from Clintons in future."

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The Mail is the UK's second most-read daily paid-for newspaper.

It said in a statement: "The Mail has only run one promotion with Paperchase - who are not an advertiser - and had no plans for any more, so it is disingenuous of them to say it won't be repeated.

"However it is deeply worrying that Paperchase should have allowed itself to be bullied into apologising - on the back of a derisory 250 Facebook comments and 150 direct tweets - to internet trolls orchestrated by a small group of hard left Corbynist individuals seeking to suppress legitimate debate and impose their views on the media.

"Has the company considered what message they are sending to the four million people who read the Daily Mail on Saturday, many of whom will be their customers?"