A BUS stop poster in Ellesmere Port advertising The Sun newspaper has been removed following an outcry by residents.

The bus stop advert was touting the arrival of columnist Piers Morgan, who last year quit Good Morning Britain after the ITV programme received over 40,000 Ofcom complaints following comments he made about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Morgan, who also wrote about Meghan in 15 separate MailOnline columns last year, prior to him quitting the title, infamously walked off the show when confronted about his "diabolical" behaviour by co-star Alex Beresford.

The columnist has now rejoined the title where he first started as a freelance reporter in 1988, in what is being touted as a multi-million pound deal.

The bus stop advert proclaims: "Piers joins The Sun. Ready for fireworks?"

Advert contractor Clear Channel had put up the adverts on the bus shelter not just in Ellesmere Port but in other Merseytravel area bus shelters as well.

The Sun has been largely boycotted in the area ever since an article which made false claims about fans at the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans died. The Sun later issued apologies in 2012 and 2016, the latter in the aftermath of a second governmental inquest that concluded fans were unlawfully killed in the disaster.

Since the adverts went up in the Merseyside area last week, Merseytravel launched an investigation into how the adverts came to be put up, with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram saying he would be seeking "cast iron guarantees" there would be no repetition of such an advert campaign in the area.

He said in a statement: "That 'newspaper' is not and will not ever be welcome here."

While the adverts were swiftly removed in the Merseyside area, Ellesmere Port falls outside of the Merseytravel area, with the advert appearing as part of a Clear Channel contract with Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Council leader Louise Gittins wrote, in response to the advert display: "We're checking to see if there's anything we can do."

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders has now said he has received a response from Clear Channel confirming that the sole poster has now been removed.

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders.

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders.

He added the partnerships team would speak to CWaC "to agree an approach which ensures this advertiser doesn't appear in areas of sensitivity in future."

Clear Channel added: "Lastly, and most importantly, Clear Channel would never knowingly cause offence to anyone and it is deeply upsetting for us that people were offended by the appearance of this campaign.

"We’re exceptionally proud of the positive contributions we’ve made to your constituency and are working hard to put this unfortunate incident behind us."

Mr Madders thanked several constituents who had helped raise the issue.

Earlier this month, Mr Madders backed a campaign for a so-called Hillsborough law aimed at ending risks of injustice.

Among those who were killed on April 15, 1989 were Ellesmere Port men James Delaney, 19, James Hennessy, 29, and Christopher Edwards, also 29, along with Jonathon Owens, 18, of Chester and schoolboy Henry Rogers, 17, of Dodleston, Chester.