Tongue-tied over poster thefts

Owners of Tongue, an upscale Ponsonby men's shoe store, are flattered but annoyed by the theft of their provocative advertising posters.

The posters feature stylistic silhouettes of the female form being caressed by the tongue of a shoe.

The company said several posters placed at traffic lights and on footpaths in central Auckland a month ago had disappeared.

Christian Harmes, director of Tongue, said: "While we'd like to think the ads have been nicked by connoisseurs of fine shoes, it's more likely the culprits are connoisseurs of the female form."