A raunchy nightclub fly-poster depicting a scantily-clad woman in a nun's head dress was today branded "offensive" and "very sad" by the Catholic Church.

John Grady, spokesman for the Diocese of Leeds, condemned the image used on the flyer for the Sunday Service night at the Time and Again club, in Cheapside, Bradford.

He called on the club's owners to apologise after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the industry watchdog, upheld a complaint from a member of the public. The ASA ruled in favour of the complainant and said the flyer was "likely to cause serious or widespread offence".

The advert featured a picture of a young woman wearing only boots, knickers, a nun's head dress and rosary beads. Her hands were placed together as if in prayer and she was straddling a cross.

Mr Grady applauded the ASA's decision to uphold the complaint.

"It is totally not on and I find it offensive on a number of counts. The very title of the night is used to evoke something else all together," he said.

It was very sad the club had to sink so low to seek publicity.

"I am glad to see that the ASA are upholding some sort of decency because there is no reason for people to have their beliefs attacked in this way," he added.

The ASA welcomed the club's decision to withdraw the flyer from circulation following its investigation.

But it criticised the club for failing to respond to its letters and said this was being considered as a breach of the code.

An ASA spokesman said the club had now been reminded of its obligations to the authority's inquiries and been warned to "avoid a similar approach in future".

No-one from the club was available for comment.