HAMPSHIRE-based motoring organisation The AA has had its complaint against a rival breakdown service upheld by advertising watchdogs.

The Basingstoke-based AA challenged claims in an advert by Direct Line Insurance that it has "one of the fastest response times in the business, averaging 33 minutes," and that it "fixes over 80 per cent of vehicles at the roadside".

When investigated by the Advertising Standards Auth-ority (ASA), Direct Line said its claims were based on data from reports produced by its operator's mechanics after they had attended an incident.

Direct Line explained that the reports covered 85 per cent of all incidents, while the remaining incidents were attended by local operators and no data was available.

The company provided a computer print-out of the monthly response times and roadside fix rates for all recorded incidents between May 1998 and August 1999.

But an Advertising Standards Authority report said: "The ASA noted the advertisers' submission but was concerned that the advertisement did not state when the data were collected.

The ASA considered that the advertisers' use of average response times and fix rates misleadingly implied that the quoted figures either referred to all roadside incidents attended or to a randomised sample of incidents.

The ASA asked Direct Line to consult the Committee of Advertising Practice copy advice team before advertising again.