A PETITION has been launched, calling for “sexist” anti-littering posted to be taken down.

The Love Essex campaign, organised by councils and fast food chains, angered feminists when it unveiled its new posters last week.

The posters, on bus stops all over the county, have angered campaigners because they appear to refer to men as “smart” and women as “pretty”.

Two versions of the poster – one showing a young man and the other a woman – both show people holding fast food containers, with the message, “Bin Your Litter”.

The trendy-looking man is wearing a suit and his picture is accompanied by the tagline “it’s a smart thing to do”, while his female counterpart stands by the line, “it’s a pretty quick thing to do”.

An online petition, demanding the posters be torn down has been launched by Pitsea mum-of-two Natalie Collins, 31.

Ms Collins, of Delhi Way, said: “This ad campaign is both sexist and derogatory, especially to women.

“This is not a commercial ad campaign. It is a local authority campaign and, as such, falls under a responsibility to equality and diversity.

“It is of great concern complaints from local residents were not taken seriously in 2014 when the campaign was first used, or that responses to local residents further perpetuated stereotypes and prejudices about women and men.

“Now it has been not only repeated, but expanded for 2015.”

The petition also urges those behind the Love Essex campaign to be given “gender awareness training”.

By yesterday afternoon, the petition it had been signed by 119 people.

However, a poll and comments posted on the Echo website suggest a majority of readers do not agree the posters should be removed.

Some 81 per cent of the 435 people who had responded online poll agreed the campaign was not sexist.

A spokesman for the campaign said the wording on the posters “was not intended to apply exclusively to the gender of the accompanying models”